Army slams Gumi for accusing soldiers of supporting bandits

…says allegation meant to belittle soldiers’ sacrifices 

The Nigerian Army has fired back at Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over his allegation that soldiers work with bandits.

The cleric known to have access to bandits had accused security personnel of colluding with bandits in the northern part of the country.

But in a statement on Wednesday, army’s spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, said while there might be some officers guilty of such accusations, the army does not condone acts of sabotage.

He said the allegation was a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of patriotic troops, working tirelessly to restore peace and stability in the country.

“It is essential to remind ourselves that these 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.

The army spokesman also 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 urged opinion leaders not to be agents of destabilisation by aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.

Nwachukwu stressed that troops would 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.

He said, “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.”