Boko Haram: Nigerian military denies trial of 10 Generals
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Nigerian military yesterday denied a news report that 10 generals were being tried for supplying arms and leaking operational secrets to the extremist sect, Boko Haram.
A statement issued by the Military spokesperson, Major-Gen. Chris Olukolade said the report by Leadership newspaper, that the military had tried and convicted 15 senior officers-including 10 generals- for aiding Boko Haram, was “unfortunate” as no general was “under any form of trial”.
“It is bad enough for any Army to try and convict a single general for such a grievous offence as alleged in the reports talk less of ten generals,” Chris Olukolade, said.
According to him, Leadership newspaper had while reporting the said story quoted military sources, that nearly a dozen army generals and soldiers on lower ranks had been brought to trial for sabotaging the Nigerian government’s onslaught against Boko Haram.
However, the military spokesman said it bore no truth. “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,”
According to Gen. Olukolade, ongoing “disciplinary process” will be made public when necessary.
“After all, court martial issues in the Nigerian Army are not known to be secret undertakings as it is on record that previous proceedings and outcome have been made public in the past,” he said.
“Disciplinary processes being undertaken in any formation of the Nigerian Army are at best routine and definitely not at the level that has been so willfully exaggerated for clearly sinister motives.” He said.
“Truly, some officers in the army are facing trial in Kaduna, but non of them is in the rank of. General and that the issue is a normal routine in the military and even in paramitary.” A military source confided in NigerianEcho.
