The Nigerian Army has debunked reports that it was recruiting Islamic fundamentalists, extremis and jihadists into the military.
The denial was made in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu.
Recall that a Dutch think tank Clingendael Institute reported that jihadist fighters from the Sahel region entered Nigeria through the Benin Republic border.
According to the report, these extremists have established themselves in Kainji Lake National Park in Niger and Kebbi states.
The report also noted a resurgence of banditry in areas under the influence of a militant jihadist group in Benin, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin.
According to the army statement on Tuesday, an audio-visual report accusing the army of this is “false and misleading”.
The statement read in part; “The footage also falsely portrayed an officer calling on Muslim young men to join the military to protect and propagate Islam.”
“Considering the gravity of these falsehoods, the NA wishes to clearly state that the narrative depicted in the footage is not in any instance a reflection of the true values and standards of the NA, as it is targeted at sparking palpable anxiety and fear, sowing discord and mistrust amongst our personnel, eroding public confidence in the integrity of the NA, particularly among Christian and non-Muslim communities.”
The Nigerian Army noted that such videos may suggest that faith of military personnel are under threat.
“The NA remains steadfast in upholding professionalism and impartiality as an institution devoid of ethnic and religious bigotry. Our operational and administrative processes and actions are guided by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not ethnicity or religious sentiments.”
“We, therefore, urge the public to dismiss this misleading report, which evidently stems from a misconception and lack of understanding about NA’s Standing Operating Procedures (SOP).”
