The Nigerian Army on Saturday said its activities in the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly polls were within the ambit of the law and rules of engagement. Colonel Sagir Musa Reacting to allegations of partisanship, coercion and shooting of voters in some areas across the country during the elections, it said that soldiers deployed on election duty were professional and proactive in their conduct. According to Spokesman of the army, Col. Sagir Musa, “we acted within the requirements of the law, rules of engagement and code of conduct”. During the elections, there were widespread allegations of partisanship, the brutality of soldiers on some electorate and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, and partisanship in the process. Electoral officers in some states, including Rivers, Lagos and Delta, accused the military of interfering in the elections. The soldiers were fingered in shootings that resulted in deaths of many people, and ...

The Nigerian Army (NA) has released hotlines to its Situation Room from where electoral activities will be monitored. According to as statement by the army the creation of its situation is in pursuant of its mandate to help create a secure and enabling environment for the conduct of the 2019 General Elections. The army said its situation room would be operating  24/7 and urged the general public to forward genuine information on security related matters as may arise during the elections period to the numbers provided. The army also noted that the public could utilize the NA Information Call Center short code 193 from any Nigerian network or the NA iReport platform on  https :// army . mil . ng /  .

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of military escorts for retired army generals and others during the elections. The Army Chief also said that there will be no military escorts for politicians even as the army has been mandated to ensure that there is restriction of movement. In his statement, he ordered the military commanders to ensure that anyone caught in doing anything inimical during the elections should be dealt with decisively. COAS orders is not unconnected with the outcome of the meeting held with President Muhammadu Buhari and other security chiefs on Tuesday.

The Nigerian Army has killed two Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, 7 Division Nigerian Army/Sector 1, Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Ado Isa on Sunday. According to Isa, the terrorists were killed during an operation along the Jebbra – Firgi Banki axis of the state around 7:21 pm on Saturday. “The terrorists in a crafty move bypassed own troops through another route but were however noticed by the ever vigilant and dogged troops who followed in a hot pursuit with firepower on target thereby inflicting heavy casualties on the runaway terrorists, scampered for their lives in disarray. “During the operation, troops neutralised 2 BHTs and an unconfirmed number of terrorists fled with gunshot wounds,” the statement read in part. Two motorcycles, seven bicycles, charms and hard drugs were recovered from the operation. According to the Army, a search operation was conducted in the genera...

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai yesterday launched Elections Monitoring and Security Situation Room with the view to safeguarding and strengthening Nigeria’s democracy. A statement from SAGIR MUSA, Colonel and Acting Director, Army Public Relations said, the launching/commissioning ceremony was done at the NA Cyber Warfare Command at the Army Headquarters Abuja. In his remarks at the occasion, the COAS stated that, “As a stakeholder in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, the NA requires real-time security situational awareness regarding the electoral processes nationwide in order to be well positioned to adequately respond, should the need arise”. “The security situation monitoring solution acquired by the NA for this purpose, has been designed to avail a clear security situation during the electioneering period, “The NA, therefore, enjoined members of the public to fully utilise this noble opportunity by forwarding timely credible information ...

Ahead of the February 16 Presidential election, four fake soldiers escorting an unnamed politician have been arrested in Owerri, the Imo State capital. Parading the suspects, who were fully dressed in Military fatigue, during a Peace Parley for candidates, the Commander 34 Artillery Brigade Obinze, Brigadier General H. I Bature, disclosed that fake soldiers have infiltrated the state to cause chaos during the general elections. He stated that desperate politicians have equipped hoodlums with Army Uniforms and weapons to perpetrate violence in the state, warning that all those involved in the ignoble act will be fished out and dealt with. According to him,  “two of these fake soldiers were arrested escorting a politician. You will marvel at the kind of ammunition that was in their possession. But no matter how much they disguise, we have a way of finding out the fake soldiers. Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Dasuki and Galadanchi, urged the politicians to pl...

The Army has refuted reports that it retired over 200 officers from service. According to an Army spokesman, Colonel Aliyu Yusuf, force recently advised some categories of officers to apply for voluntary retirement from service, however, the number being flaunted in the media is far from the truth. The Army spokesman also noted that it is equally not correct that those affected were mostly officers who attended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria. Colonel Aliyu Yusuf in his statement on Monday said while this is strictly a service matter, it is essential to address the deliberate misinformation being peddled to erroneous information. He said, “It is important to note that pursuant to Rule 020810 Paragraph 1 of the Public Service Rules (PSR) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2008, the compulsory retirement age for all Grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier. Also, rule 020810 paragraph 2 of the same PSR prov...

Colonel Sagir Musa has been appointed as acting Director of Army Public Relations. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Musa replaces Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, who voluntarily retired from the service on Thursday. Colonel Sagir Musa NAN also reported that Musa’s appointment is contained in a new redeployment of senior officers released by the Army Headquarters. Until the appointment, Musa was the spokesman of 82 Division, Enugu. Under the posting, Col. A.A. Yusuf, the Chief of Security in the Directorate of Army Public Relations was appointed Deputy Director of Public Relations, 82 Division Nigerian army. Col. A. D Isa is posted to Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole as Deputy Director Army Public Relations, while Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, who was the spokesman of the Theatre, moves to the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, as acting Director Defence Information. Others affected by the posting are, Brig.-Gen. N.J. Okah, from Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and En...

The Nigerian Army has called on the Police to arrest Timi Frank, the former spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over fake news. Timi Frank Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, the Director Army Public Relations, Colonel, ALIYU YUSUF, described Frank’s allegation as a concocted hogwash, and warned mischief makers to desist from further spreading fake news. Recall that Frank had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of meeting with the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Chief of Army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to perfect his rigging plans at midnight. Miffed with his statement, the Nigerian Army opined that Frank’s alleged statements were baseless and was targeted against the person of Buratai. To this end, the force debunked the allegation but said that Buhari is at liberty to hold meeting with his Service Chiefs any time. It equally warned mischief makers to steer clear of joining issues with the Institution or its leadership in matters that...

The Nigerian Army says no soldier or group of soldiers is attached to any politician or political party in any state in the South-East. Col. Sagir Musa, Deputy Director, Public Relations of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, made this known in a statement issued to  Newsmen  yesterday in Enugu . Nigerian troops  The statement was entitled: “No soldier is attached to any politician in Abia state and the entire South-East geopolitical zone.’’ Musa said that the Nigerian army would “remain apolitical, neutral and totally insulated from any form of politics.” He further said they would have no attachment to any politician or political party before, during and after the general elections. According to him, the Nigerian Army’s Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement are unambiguous and did not include attaching soldiers to politicians. He said that at no time had any personnel of the Nigeria Army been attached to a prominent politician in Abia stat...