Nigerian military warns politicians, soldiers against coup

“The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda”

The Defence Headquarters has dissociated self from any anti-democratic utterances and positions as well as pledged loyalty to the President Muhammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended.

The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, stated this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu said the attention of the military high command had been drawn to a statement suggesting that current political leadership should hand over power to the military for the purpose of restructuring.

He said that the statement was purported to have been made by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Robert Clark.

“The Nigerian Military wish to dissociate itself from such anti-democratic utterance and position.

“Let it be stated categorically that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present Administration and all associated democratic institutions.

“We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the Civil Authority, firmly loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended.

“We shall continue to discharge our constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s democracy, defence of the territorial integrity of the country as well as protection of lives and properties of citizens,” he said.

The defence spokesperson further warned that the military high command would not tolerate misguided politicians who nursed the inordinate ambition to rule the country outside the ballot box.

He said that the Defence Headquarters would advise those politicians to banish such thoughts, adding that the military under the current leadership remained resolute in the defence of the nation’s democracy and its growth.

“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality.

“The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.

“The current security challenges are not insurmountable as the military, in partnership with other security agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge.

“Nigeria will know peace again,” he said.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of NAN.