Army spokesman dismisses coup report, says soldiers loyalty to Buhari not in doubt

By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, has disowned a publication attributed to him about “Defence Headquarters warning soldiers against overthrowing Buhari’s regime”.

Nwachukwu, in a statement on Saturday, said the publication, which was riddled with outrageous lies and fabrications, claimed that the “Defence Headquarters has denounced a call for the military to take over power”.

He said the online outlet went further to attribute what he described as falsehood to the “Army Spokesman”.

According to him, the only reason why this grossly unprofessional and blatantly irresponsible report is receiving any attention is the attribution of the false statement to the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu.

“The authors of the story must be the only news reporters who do not know that army spokesman does not speak for the Defence Headquarters.

“However, for the sake of clarity and to keep the records straight, we wish to state that at no time did the Director, Army Public Relations, issue any statement on the subject matter.

“It is therefore a figment of their imagination, which did not in anyway emanate from Nwachukwu.

Nwachukwu said that officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army did not need to be “warned against overthrowing Buhari’s government”, saying their loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces had never been in doubt.

“The Nigerian Army is a reputable national and patriotic institution that has fully subordinated itself to civil authority, having stood unwaveringly in defence of the nation’s democracy.

“It will continue to be steadfast in defending Nigeria’s constitution and the much-cherished democracy by providing aid to civil authority, whenever it is called upon to so do,” he said. (NAN)