Coup plot claims, only in ‘warped mind of militants’, Nigerian Army says

 

The Nigerian Army has described the allegation that some of its officers are planning to over throw President Muhammadu Buhari as baseless and most unfortunate.

Niger Delta militants under the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) had made the allegation, saying they were approached to step up the tempo of bombing of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta so as to provide the right atmosphere for the soldiers to strike.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Army Spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, the Army said the allegation exists solely “in the warped minds of the originators of such weighty allegation.”

The Statement reads in part: “The Nigerian Army wish to state that this is not true and hereby distanced 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.

“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.”