Wednesday, June 04, 2014

No Army General Under Trial Says Nigerian Defense Headquarters
Nigerian Maj. Gen. Chris Olukulade.
by UBONG UKPONG
Jun 4, 2014
Nigerian National Accord

The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday, insisted that no general or any of its officers were undergoing any form of trial, including court martial for allegedly conniving with the Boko Haram insurgents.

The DHQ was reacting to reports that 10 Army Generals and five other senior officers have been arrested and were being court martial for aiding and abetting insurgency.

In a statement through its Director of Defence Information, DDI, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, in Abuja, the DHQ described the reports as the handiwork of mischief makers who were bent on destroying the image of the Army and its personnel.

The statement reads: “The Defence Headquarters wishes to state once again categorically that there is no truth whatsoever in the report making the rounds in a section of the media claiming that a Nigerian Army court martial has tried and found 15 senior officers, including 10 Generals guilty for aiding terrorists.

“The story as published in some dailies and zealously propagated by many online media is very unfortunate and meant to do maximum damage to the image of the Nigerian Army and its personnel.

“This falsehood had previously been refuted when it first reared its head but those concocting it appear hell bent on misleading Nigerians and the international community to give credence to the negative impression they are so keen to propagate about the Nigerian military.

“It has become inevitable to reassure the general public that any ongoing disciplinary process or trial will be made public when necessary.

“After all, Court Martial issues in the Nigerian Army are not known to be secret undertakings as it is on record that previous proceedings and outcome have been made public in the past.

“Those who have decided to make a past time out of sensationalising and fabricating sensitive security issues are again cautioned to desist from this practice especially in this period of the nation’s history.

“It is bad enough for any Army to try and convict a single General for such a grievous offence as alleged in the reports talk less of 10 Generals.

“Nigerian Army remains a serious professional and responsible institution that cannot be associated with such incredulous report.

“The general public is therefore implored to discountenance the report as the handiwork of those who do not mean well for the country and her Armed Forces.

“Disciplinary processes being undertaken in any formation of the Nigerian Army are at best routine and definitely not at the level that has been so willfully exaggerated for clearly sinister motives.

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