Soldiers arrested for aiding Boko
Haram
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike
Ihejirika, on Wednesday said some soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army
had been arrested for conspiring with insurgents in the ongoing face-off
between the military and militants.
The COAS however did not give the number of
soldiers that were arrested.
Ihejirika said that the affected troops were
caught while posting comments he described as “negative” and conversing with
terror suspects on the Internet.
He stated, “There are some soldiers that have
been found to be posting negative comments on the Internet and some
conversing with insurgents.
“I want to state that any officer or soldier
caught linked one way or the other will be disciplined severely, there are no
two ways about it.
“So the Directorate of Military Intelligence is
encouraged to continue to monitor the activities along with military police and
other commanders in the field because military service is service of patriotism
as I said earlier.”
Nigerian troops are currently confronting
militants in the three northern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa, where
President Goodluck Jonathan last week declared a state of emergency in the
efforts to rout members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The Army chief spoke at the opening ceremony of
the Nigerian Army transformation and Innovation Centre on Personnel Management
and Development at the Command Officers Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.
The seminar was held under the leadership of the
Chief of Army Transformation and Innovation, Maj. Gen Ibrahim Sani, with the
title, “Building Capacity of the Nigerian Army to meet Contemporary
Challenges.”
He warned that any officers found to be involved
in such unacceptable conduct would be made to face the law.
Ihejirika urged the DMI, the investigative arm
of the Armed Forces, and the Military Police to put commanders and soldiers in
the field of operations under watch.
The Army chief explained that a soldier who gave
out information on troops’ movement to the insurgents that attacked Mali -bound
soldiers at Okene, Kogi State, had been arrested and would be made to face
military court-martial.
Two soldiers, a warrant Officer and Corporal
were killed in the Okene attack claimed by an Islamic sect.
He said, “Again let me warn; let me also use
this opportunity to warn officers and soldiers who indulge in giving out
information both from the Army headquarters and other formations; certain vital
information that has in one way or the other worked negatively in our
operations.
Punch Newspaper
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