Captain A. Richard of the Nigerian Army has been confirmed dead by military authorities, following his involvement in a deadly car crash on Monday morning, an internal army communication seen by Peoples Gazette said.

The Gazette learnt on Wednesday afternoon that the deceased soldier was first declared missing after he went off-the-grid moments after his ill-fated trip along the highway linking Emohua and Erema communities in Rivers State.

“After several calls, it was discovered that the captain was involved in a ghastly accident that led to the burning of the officer and his vehicle beyond recognition,” the army memo said.

It added that his charred remains had been evacuated by the Egbeda police division in Emohua Local Government Area, and later received by his family at the military hospital in the state capital Port Harcourt.

The cause of the accident was not disclosed. An army spokesman was not available for comments on the military’s plan to support the bereaved family of the deceased serviceman.