The Nigerian Army has frowned at the article published by London-based news magazine, The Economist, which alleged that Nigeria was collapsing under the threats of insurgency, banditry, and secessionism describing it as demonic as a deliberate attempt to destabilise the Nigerian government.
The army said contrary to the report that the Nigerian Armed Forces and the various security agencies are incapable of handling the security situation in the country, it remained steadfast, unwavering, and resolute in stamping out terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes ravaging the country and the West African sub-region.
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The Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, who made this known, said its exploits at ensuring peace and sustenance of democracy in several parts of the world is also widely acclaimed and globally respected.
Nwachukwu, in a statement, said: ‘The article was ostensibly crafted to denigrate, demonize and destabilize the Nigerian government. The report also contained some unimaginable slurs targeted at the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian Army in particular, to which we would like to respond.
‘Even as the real intention of the otherwise respected Economist magazine in publishing such toxic concoctions weaved up as report on Nigerian Government’s response to the multi-faceted security challenges assailing the country is yet to be unraveled, the source of the article is very clear.
‘It is one of those deliberate falsehood and noxious narratives orchestrated by a network of detractors and coven of dark forces working very hard to adorn the Nigerian Army in an unfitting garb of infamy. The vile report, which the Economist chose to offer on its platform for publication, spared no effort in trying to vilify and rubbish the image, character, and reputational standing of the Nigerian Army, but failed woefully.
‘As a professional, hard-fighting, and globally respected institution that has continued to occupy deserved glorious position in the comity of global defence forces, the Nigerian Army is certainly not what the so-called report by the Economist tried to characterize it. Even more ludicrous was the embellishments of the said report by the notorious unprofessional media outlets that were quick to republish the obvious falsehood.
‘How is it conceivable that an international magazine worth its name and professional reputation would agree to lend its medium for a hatchet job of an article without as much as committing little effort to find out the real truth about the Nigerian Army? How is it imaginable that the Nigerian Army that has distinguished itself as a worthy contributor to global peace and security through regional, continental, and international peacekeeping and peace support operations would be characterised as “mighty on paper”? How can the Nigerian Army that has restored democracies, brought peace to troubled lands and stabilised the sub-region through the dint of hard work, commitment to duty, discipline, and professionalism be so denigrated?
‘Is it the ‘ghost soldiers’ of the Nigerian Army that have weathered the storm of terrorism and insurgency of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province Terrorists (ISWAP) in the northeastern part of the country and parts of the Lake Chad region?
‘In case the Economist magazine and those who fed it all the lies it published do not know, the Nigerian Army working in a joint environment, has been able to stop ISWAP, a very formidable international terrorist organization in its tracks, in spite of all the obstacles, including arm sale blackouts on its way. The Economist and its ilk ought to have known that the Nigerian Army has long distinguished itself as a professional force that does not toy with accountability nor shirk from its statutory responsibility of defending Nigeria from external aggression or internal insurrection.’
The Nigerian Army have often come under criticism over its lack of discipline and abusive use of force.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK