The Nigerian Army has denied allegations that it attached soldiers to politicians with the explanation that the army would “remain apolitical, neutral and totally insulated from any form of politics”.
Col. Sagir Musa, Deputy Director, Public Relations of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, said that Army personnel would remain insulated from any form of politics, political party leaning or attachment to any politician before, during and after the 2019 general elections.
Musa stated in a statement in Enugu that “no soldier is attached to any politician in Abia state and the entire South-East geopolitical zone’’.
He further said they would have no attachment to any politician or political party before, during and after the general elections.
According to him, the Nigerian Army’s Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement are unambiguous and did not include attaching soldiers to politicians.
He said that at no time had any personnel of the Nigeria Army been attached to a prominent politician in Abia state or any other state in the South-East.
The army spokesman challenged anybody with a contrary claim to produce photo or video evidence for further proof.
Musa was reacting to an online publication, in which the army was accused of having posted “dozens of soldiers” to a prominent politician in Abia.”
He said that the report further alleged that the politician was using the army personnel “to instigate violence in the state.”
“Based on this hollow allegation, the 14 Brigade and indeed the 82 Division Nigerian Army hereby restate that there is not a single soldier or group of soldiers attached to any political figure in Abia.
He called on politicians to desist from associating Army personnel with politicians, saying that it would no longer be condoned.
