Army counter claims of mass killing in southeast

The Nigerian Army has said that claims of mass killing by soldiers in southeast Nigeria is “falsehood targeted at whipping up negative sentiments against troops and inciting anarchy in the southeast region.”

Reacting to claims of carrying out mass killing of Igbos and dumping them in a River as alleged by self-acclaimed leader of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, Army spokesperson, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said this was punctured after the video was subjected to serious scrutiny.

He said; 

“In the first instance, the troops in the video footage are not personnel of the Nigerian Army as the insignia visible on their berets clearly identifies them as personnel of the Nigerian Navy, who were engaged in a routine test firing of a weapon system mounted on a vehicle and in order to ensure the safety of other road users and commuters, the troops took precautionary measures by halting vehicular movement along the road until the test firing was safely concluded. Observers were also kept at a safe distance, maintaining transparency and prioritizing the safety of all involved.

“Secondly, preliminary findings also indicate that the occurrence took place in the Southwest region of the country and not the southeast as advertently portrayed by the alarmist propagandists.

“Furthermore, it was observed that there was no evidence to support the assertion that individuals were being shot at in the river, nor have there been any report from local communities regarding the discovery of corpses in the area.

“Unfounded claims and irredeemable falsehood being propagated by Simon Ekpa and his associates, whose apparent objective is to disseminate misinformation and incite unrest.”

Nwachukwu also saluted the “courage and patriotism of well-meaning and law-abiding Ndigbo” living in the southeast and across the nation, “who despite the brazen atrocities and threats being perpetrated by Simon Ekpa and his terrorists’ group,” have continued to build bridges of peace and harmony across the country and promoting our national ideal of a united Nigeria. Gen. Nwachukwu said the Nigerian Army remains a “pillar of stability and security, committed to the well-being of the nation and her people.”