The Sierra Leone Police is currently investigating the death of an elderly woman who was allegedly shot dead by a soldier of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces deployed to Kambia District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.

The Soldier has been reportedly arrested and taken to CID headquarters in Freetown last Saturday, according to sources familiar with the case.

A human rights advocacy group said that the culprit soldier allegedly shot dead an elderly woman and then ran away.

Meanwhile, Community Action For Sustainable Growth Team Leader Gibril Gottor, confirmed that the soldier had been arrested. “The alleged killer has been handed over to the civil police by the military command for further investigation,” Gottor said.

Gottor said the soldier was initially arrested on Friday without the assault rifle he allegedly used in the commissioning of the crime – but a later update says the gun had been located.

CAFSuG said in an earlier statement that Corporal Kandeh A.J. (18177706) allegedly shot dead Ya Marie Bangura on Jan. 18, at Ansumana Street, Kambia II, Central Kambia District.

The rights group didn’t provide further details as to what caused the incident. Only that, according to the statement, the soldier allegedly ran away with a loaded rifle after he shot the old woman – an act the organization described as brutal, and a violation of the constitution.

“I[n] lieu of the aforementioned, as Human Rights defenders in this part of the country and the world, we want to first of all in no uncertain term[s], condemn the act of deprivation to life as enshrined in Chapter III, Section 16 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone,” the statement said.

The military wasn’t immediately available to provide a comment on the incident.

But a senior police officer in the area who spoke with Alusine Babah Kamara, TV-News24’s Kambia district senior reporter, confirmed the reported killing of the elderly woman.