Nigerian Army to Probe Coup Rumours
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| Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai |
The Nigeria Army has said it will investigate and track down those behind the
recent speculation that some of its officers had approached the Niger Delta
militants for support to carry out a coup against the government.
This came as Defence Headquarters yesterday announced that a new commander,
Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, had been appointed for the new joint security
outfit for the Niger Delta, following the scrapping of ‘Operation Pulo Shield’
by the Federal Government, which had now been renamed, ‘Operation Delta Safe.’
Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai Denying that it was plotting to topple
the democratic government, the Army said it will leave no stone unturned until
persons linked to such “dangerous” speculation were fished out and brought to
book.
Spokesman for the army, Sani Usman, said in a statement yesterday that the
Nigerian Army, as a product of democracy, would never contemplate such
“anti-democratic misadventure.” He said under the command of the Chief of Army
Staff, Tukur Buratai,, the Army would rather remain focused as a professional
institution that would have nothing to do with such “abomination and heinous
crime.”
He said the army would always remain loyal to the office of the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
while defending the constitution and territorial integrity of the country. He
said the coup speculation was a calculated attempt to distract the army from
its ongoing war against terror in the country.
The Army’s statement read in part:
“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to another campaign of
calumny and distraction by faceless criminal gang of economic saboteurs that
hide under the aegis of Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, alleging
that some officers of the Nigerian Army approached them for support to
overthrow our duly elected present democratic government. “This is baseless
and most unfortunate allegation that existed in the warped minds of the
originators of such weighty allegation. The Nigerian Army wishes to state that
this is not true and, hereby, distance itself from this weighty allegation.”
“We also see this speculation as a dangerous distraction to our effort in
fighting insurgency and other criminal elements in the country. “The Nigerian
Army would like to send a strong and an unequivocal warning to those
speculating a coup by the Nigerian Army (NA) against the government to desist
forthwith. We would like to state in clear terms that we are a product of
democracy and a focused professional institution and would have nothing to do
with such abomination and heinous crime.
“We wish to state further that the NA is the greatest beneficiary of democracy
and, therefore, cannot ever contemplate any anti-democratic misadventure,
certainly not under the command of the present Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant
General Tukur Yusufu Buratai. Rather, we see this type of dangerous
speculation as a declaration of war to destabilise the present government by
these unscrupulous elements. “The Nigerian Army is investigating those behind
the dangerous insinuation in order to unravel the real motive behind it. “We
would like to reiterate our unalloyed loyalty to the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We would also
like to reaffirm our unconditional support and obedience to civil authority.
“We wish to further assure Nigerians and, indeed, all peace loving people that
the Nigerian Army and, indeed, its personnel will never be involved in such
terrible misadventure.
“We wish to further add that no matter how long it takes, we would track and
find out those behind these insinuations and bring them to justice”. Since it
became politically independent some 56 years ago, Nigeria has witnessed nine
coups and attempted coups. Meanwhile, following the scrapping of ‘Operation
Pulo Shield’ by the federal government and launching of ‘Operation Delta
Safe’, a new Commander has been appointed for the new joint security outfit
for the Niger Delta. He is Rear Admiral Joseph Osa Okojie who until his
appointment was the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Lagos. His
appointment is with immediate effect. This was contained in a statement by
Defence spokesman, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar.
Vanguard
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