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| Chief of Army Staff, 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.
PREMIUM TIMES report continues:
Denying that it is
plotting to topple the democratic government, the army said it will leave no
stone unturned until persons linked to 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
reads in full:
“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 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 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 destabilize
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 different
coups and attempted coups.
The last coup occurred in
November 1993 when the late military dictator, Sani Abacha, toppled the
transitional government of Earnest Shonekan in a bloodless takeover, three
months after the then military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, (who also came
to power through a palace coup) handed over to him after annulling the June 12
election.
President Muhammadu
Buhari, then a military ruler, was toppled on December 31 1985 by Mr.
Babangida, a general and chief of army staff at the time.
Mr. Buhari’s regime also
came through coup in 1983.
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