The Nigerian Army says it will be carrying out an investigation into the alleged murder of an undergraduate student of the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa by her boyfriend said to be a military officer.

Jennifer Ugadu, a 200-level student of the Faculty of Education, was found dead in her room at an off-campus hostel in the state on Sunday, July 11, days after she was murdered. The soldier, Jay Matol, is said to have suspected Jennifer of cheating so he allegedly raped her, then shot and stabbed her multiple times. After the alleged killing, it is alleged that he placed her dead body on the bed and locked her inside before running away with her phone. He also allegedly severed her thumb to use it in unlocking her phone. He is then said to have logged on to her department’s WhatsApp group to announce that he has killed her and plans to kill himself too. Read the initial report here.

Reacting to the sad story, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement released, said the Nigerian Army will ensure that justice is served.

The statement reads

“The Nigerian Army has been notified of a media publication, alleging that a jealous soldier killed his lover, one Miss Jennifer Ugadu, an undergraduate student, at the Niger Delta University, Ammasoma. In the report, it was alleged that the student was shot in her apartment by the suspect who is now at large.

While the army commiserates with the family of the deceased, it is crucial to unambiguously state that there is no place for such barbaric act in the army. The army would ensure justice is served. The army has taken the allegation seriously and a joint investigation has commenced, while the effort to profile and ascertain the true identity of the suspect is ongoing.”