The Nigerian Army has distanced itself from a report by an online platform titled: “Defence Headquarters warns soldiers against overthrowing Buhari’s regime.”
In a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army said “the publication, which was riddled with outrageous lies and fabrications claimed that the ‘Defence Headquarters has denounced a call for the military to take over the reins of power’.
According to it, “the online outlet went further to attribute its falsehood to Army Spokesman, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu.
“The only reason why this grossly unprofessional and blatantly irresponsible report is receiving any attention is the attribution of the false statement to the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu.
“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, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu issue any statement on the subject matter. It is therefore a figment of their imagination, which did not in any way emanate from Brig Gen Nwachukwu.
“In any case, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army do not need to be ‘warned against overthrowing Buhari’s government’ as their loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces has never been in doubt.”
According to the statement, “the Nigerian Army is a reputable national and patriotic institution that has fully subordinated herself to civil authority, having stood unwaveringly in defence of the nation’s democracy.
“The NA will continue to be steadfast in defending Nigeria’s constitution and the much-cherished democracy by providing aid to the civil authority, whenever it is called upon to so do.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune