The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has opened a board of inquiry to determine how Corporal A. S. Wulumba, an airman attached to the Bauchi Command, died while held in a guardroom for alleged lateness to duty.
Family sources said Wulumba, who reportedly suffered health complications on the day in question, phoned his sister, Numdarai, on 4 May 2025 to say he had been placed under detention. She maintains her brother’s explanation for arriving late was dismissed by his immediate superior, who ordered that he be locked up.
“Under military regulations, confinement for minor offences such as lateness should not exceed 24 hours,” she told reporters. “If further action was required, he should have faced a summary trial or court-martial, not an open-ended detention. Now he is gone.”
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, NAF spokesman Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame described the death as “unfortunate” and offered the Service’s condolences to Wulumba’s family, friends and colleagues.
“In line with standard procedure, a board of inquiry has been convened to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his death,” he said. “Further details will be released as the investigation progresses. The Nigerian Air Force remains committed to the welfare of its personnel and to upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency.”
The inquiry’s findings are expected to guide any subsequent disciplinary or legal action.
