The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Tuesday that the story written by a national daily (not the PUNCH), was meant to inflict a full damage on the image of the military.
Olukolade said that the story which he described as a falsehood was refuted previously by the military but was again brought up by those bent of giving wrong information to Nigerians and the international community in support of their negative propaganda against the military.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to state once again categorically that there is no truth whatsoever in the report making rounds in a section of the media claiming that a Nigerian Army court martial has tried and found 15 senior officers including 10 Generals guilty for aiding terrorists.
“The story as published in some dailies and zealously propagated by many online media is very unfortunate and meant to do maximum damage to the image of Nigerian Army and its personnel.
“This falsehood had previously been refuted when it first reared its head but those concocting it appear hell bent on misleading Nigerians and the international community to give credence to the negative impression they are so keen to propagate about the Nigerian military.” The statement read in part.
Olukolade said that the military would ensure that any ongoing disciplinary process in the operation was brought to the attention of the public when it became necessary.
The Defence Spokesman stressed it was on record that the outcome of military court martial undertaken by the Nigerian Army had always been made public.
He advised those fabricating sensitive security stories to desist from doing so especially during this period of insecurity.
He said that it was rather grave for the Army to convict a single general for the offence of giving arms to the insurgents as report let alone 10 generals.
Olukolade maintained that the “Nigerian Army remains a serious professional and responsible institution
Source: Punch
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