Nigerian Military Threatens To Deal With Dragging Armed Forces Into Politics

The Military on Sunday said it will not hesitate to deal decisively with any person or group that want to tarnish its image or draw it into partisan politics.

It also said the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains apolitical, warning that ”all mischief-makers and their proxies should not draw the military into their engagements.

Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, in a statement issued in Abuja, stated this while dismissing a report that claimed Defence Headquarters warned politicians and officers against a coup.

Onyeuko explained that the publication, which surfaced online is a handiwork of mischief makers and enemies of the state, adding that it is a deliberate and calculated attempt to mislead the general public aimed at causing disharmony in the polity.

According to him, the publication was manipulated with the intent of disinformation a previous message released in May 2021 by the then Director Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who is the current army spokesman.

The statement partly read, ”The Military High Command hereby warns all mischief-makers and their proxies not to draw the military into their engagements.”

The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains apolitical and would not hesitate to deal decisively with any person or group of persons that want to tarnish its image or draw it into partisan politics.

”The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains loyal to President Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces -President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR and also sworn to defend our democracy as well the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Earlier, the army spokesman had also disowned the publication, saying it was riddled with outrageous lies and fabrications.

He stated that the only reason ”this grossly unprofessional and blatantly irresponsible report” is receiving any attention is the attribution of the false statement to him.“

The authors of the story must be the only news reporters who do not know that army spokesman does not speak for the Defence Headquarters.

”However, for the sake of clarity and to keep the records straight, we wish to state that at no time did the Director, Army Public Relations, issue any statement on the subject matter.”

It is, therefore, a figment of their imagination, which did not in any way emanate from Nwachukwu,” the army spokesman said.