Army replies Gumi: Soldiers risk their lives to confront bandits — we don’t condone sabotage

The Nigerian Army has kicked against the allegation that soldiers work with bandits.

Ahmad Gumi, a cleric who is known to have access to bandits, had accused security personnel of colluding with bandits in the northern part of the country.

But reacting in a statement on Wednesday, Onyema Nwachukwu, army’s spokesperson, said while there may be some officers guilty of such accusations, the army doesn’t condone acts sabotaging its efforts.

The allegation, he said, is not only sad and unfortunate but a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of patriotic troops, who are working tirelessly to restore peace and stability across the country.

“It is essential to remind ourselves that this same military, being accused of connivance, are the ones who recently put their lives on the line to rescue abductees of the Government Secondary School, Birnin Yauri, from kidnappers,” he said.

“While the NA will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel.

“The provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallised in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“It must also be pointed out, that while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals.”

He also enjoined opinion leaders to demonstrate patriotism in building peace, rather than being agents of destabilisation by aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.

He reassured Nigerians that troops will continue to conduct themselves professionally in consonance with the code guiding their operations in all combat engagements, as well as in line with global best practices.

“Citizens are enjoined to continue to support military operations by providing useful information to defence and security agencies, and together we shall rid our society of these criminal elements,” he added.