The Nigerian Army has said that it is a globally respected agency. This is in response to an Editorial by The Economist of the United Kingdom (UK) on Saturday where the Muhammadu Buhari administration was described as incompetent, and criticised for being ‘unable to curb corruption’. The piece was titled ‘The Crime Scene at the Heart of Africa’.
The publication also accused the Nigerian Army of selling weapons to insurgents, just as it pointed out that ‘insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria’.
But Nigerian authorities are thoroughly displeased with the report, and have fired back.
In a statement on Saturday by Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army Spokesperson, the agency said it is “certainly not what the so-called report by the Economist tried to characterize it”.
Read the Nigerian Army’s statement in full below:
NIGERIAN ARMY IS WIDELY ACCLAIMED AND GLOBALLY RESPECTED: A REJOINDER TO THE WILD CLAIMS BY THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE REPORT ENTITILED: ‘INSURGENCY, SECCESSIONISM AND BANDITRY THREATEN NIGERIA’
The Nigerian Army has been notified of a recent article published in the online version of the “Economist”, a London based magazine, titled “Insurgency, Secessionism and Banditry Threaten Nigeria” which 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 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 finding 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 peace keeping and peace support operations would be characterized as “Mighty on paper”? How can the Nigerian Army that has restored democracies, brought peace to troubled lands and stabilized 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 north eastern 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.
Is it not curious that an otherwise respected international magazine could so easily be sucked in by the antics of conflict merchants and agents provocateurs who are uncomfortable with the steadfastness, patriotism, unwavering commitment, sacrifice, ruggedness and resoluteness of the Nigerian Army in stamping out terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes assailing the country and the West African sub-region? How the Economist magazine failed to do simple due diligence on the said fabricated report is worth interrogating by those who are interested in distinguishing between rogue journalism and professional one.
Let it be known to the Economist magazine and those who concocted the lies they published that the gallant officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are undeterred, undistracted and totally unfazed by the harebrained assertions contained in that silly report.
Maybe the Economist Magazine should do a piece of the choice palatial mansions and premium properties of Nigerian Army Generals in developed countries all over the world.
Let’s see who is lying, the Economist Magazine, or the Nigerian Army?
D way d Nigerian army spokesman responded to d write up with so much vehemence and grammes makes our army noisy and political… This amount of energy if utilized in combating insurgency,banditry and kidnapping in d north d country will be a safe place to be…d speed at which d army responded if they could respond in such a manner when villagers under attack of Fulani herdsmen call for help then sanity will be restored in d communities.. D military image making is not a made vocabulary expression.. Its action not too much grammar.
No problems
Of course Nigerian army is best described and qualified as stupid. The president himself can be renamed Mr Curruption. He tolerate Curruption. He is currupt. He can’t control it because he lacks the conscience to call his currupt minsters, senator, governor’s, assembly members and household to order. Allowing his party members to engage in currupt practices is his own method ofsttling them for supporting him.They connive to borrow money from international organisations and share it among his loyalists. They decide the world that they are fighting terrorists to defraud the international bodies. When money gets to them they share it. When they recurve help in material, they hand them over to terrorists through arrangement attacks. They pardon terrorists and appoint them in high rato high ranks in the army and other military and paramilitary units. Only Fulanis and Muslims are employed into government jobs. Only none Fulanis are sent to battle the terrorists. The terrorists syndrome in Nigeria is a pure Islamist programme by the Federal government to Islamise Nigeria in the manner of Aphganistan. Buhari and his tribes men are desperate to Islamise Nigeria at all cost. The Herdsmen are being fronted to acquire our farmlands by force to grace their cows. Sambisa Forrest is enough to give anything they want for grazing. Buhari can’t judiciously account for the use of loans he borrowed. Till then, the Word should stop giving him loans for their interest.
The Nigerian army should be ashamed of itself for the mess it has become, that attracted the shameful verdict of the Economist magazine. An army that can’t protect its foremost training institution and formations from bandits attack, an army that’s so gong-ho against unarmed civilian youths, sitting on the floor, waiving the Nigerian flag, and singing the national anthem, rather than protecting those youths but delighted in murdering scores of those youths, and then started lying about its role in the killings. An army that’s so happy to attack unarmed civilians across the country at the slightest provocation, inflicting serious damages and pain on citizens it’s meant to protect? The current Nigerian army is utterly unfit for purpose and cannot continue to draw on the accolade of its performance several decades ago.
Go show them how it’s done boss
That’s the kind of army we have today as useless as Buhari government that have packeged suffering and death and pass it on the table of every home in this country,people as deiying like flies every day as if we are in a war fild,this very government have taking this country 50 years backward,no plan or good intention for the citizens,Shem on this government and the military formation.
Mr. Kunle you just said it all. God bless you for saying the truth.
Indeed, Nigerian army is more than useless!
Perhaps u are one of those that fed the so-called economists magazine with lies. One thing is clear ,the Nigerian Army is one of the strongest in Africa, believe it or live. No security outfit in the world is invulnerable, even the adjudged safest military outfit in the whole world, the Pentagon in the US was attacked. Pls Mr writer, the Nigerian Army are trying their best and so we should encourage them
It is so unfortunate. The army cannot be singled out as a scape goat in the debauchery of corruption Nigrtia has become. What sector has not lost its respect or glorious days in Nigeria? Education, Agriculture, Economy, Security, Manufacturing etc Just as that of security robbed NA of its respect and the of other security agencies, so other sectors have destroyed that of the other agencies under them be it public or private.
Well said,you Said it all…
An Amy that cannot defend it’s civilians.An army that’s so happy killing innocent civilians in the name of obaying orders…
You are wrong sir
Yes message me on WhatsApp let me tell you the truth
Monkey resemble man
Thank dear God bless you my dear Nigeria army stupidity of army in Nigeria is the worst every