Some Military officers believed to be working with some civilians to launch a smear campaign on the Nigerian Army and the person of the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, are being interrogated by the Army. A statement by the acting spokesperson of the Army, Col Sani Usman states that the smear campaign which is geared towards undermining the efforts of the Army in the fight against Boko Haram, is to start from next month.
He called on Nigerians not to believe any information posted online that dents the image of the Nigerian Army. Read the statement below…
The Nigerian Army has received report of some elements both within the Nigerian Army and outside, especially through the use of the social media circle to ridicule the Nigerian Army and the person of the Chief of Army Staff for reasons best known to them. They intend to execute this plan as from next month, December 2015, using all means possible; lies, fabricating baseless stories, falsehood, publishing and broadcasting them through some designated print and electronic media, most especially the Social Media. The Nigerian Army has identified some of the officers involved and their collaborators. The officers are being investigated to unravel their motive and motivation. The public and the media are please requested to be careful and wary of these disgruntled persons. They should please disregard any such material from them.
The Nigerian Army holds the media in high esteem. The Nigerian media is one of the best in the world and have consistently been partners in progress and very supportive, understanding and cooperative with the Nigerian Army especially in the fight against terrorism and insurgency. This at times comes at the risk of their personal safety and corporate existence. The role of the media in nation building and conflict resolution, peace building and social responsibility is never in doubt. They have proven to be very important stakeholders in our collective efforts to restore peace and stability in our great nation.
With this and so many other things, the media, especially the online publications, should not be involved or lured into such dubious campaign. As always, our doors are open for clarification, enquiries and reactions on any issue concerning the Nigerian Army before filing or publicizing such stories. It is imperative to note that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists is at critical stage, any attack on the Nigerian Army will be counter productive and serious distraction on the fight against terrorism and insurgency. More so, as we are busy trying to defeat Boko Haram terrorists based on the given presidential mandate. Consequent upon this, we are calling on all Nigerians not to fall prey to their campaign of calumny. This is because their evil intents would be distractive and capable of reversing the gains on the fight against Boko Haram Terrorists. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure the defeat of Boko Haram terrorists and safety of lives and property in our country before the end of the year.
Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman Acting Director Army Public Relations
