As the government goes hard on Nigerian separatist leaders, Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff says the army will not tolerate violent secession agitations.
Irabor made this known this during a meeting with retired senior military officers in Imo State, South-East Nigeria on Thursday.
According to him, the military is not concerned with people who obey the law, but will not allow anyone instigating violence.
“It is not the job of the military to stop anyone from agitating for whatever he so wishes. It is a political thing,” Irabor said.
“What we are against is having to use the instrument of violence to bring about the agitation.
“We have a constitution that enables us to present whatever grievances that we have. So, if anyone is going outside the provisions of the Constitution, of course, we as military and other security agencies won’t allow that. Why do you have to kill to achieve your desires?”
Furthermore, Irabor promised that the Nigerian military is up to the task against any individual or group waging violent agitation against the nation.
“That we will not allow, ”he said.
“Again, there are provisions for anyone who believes that he has certain desires within the confines of the arrangement as enshrined in the constitution to ventilate such views.
“So, this is the reason we think that violence is not the way to go. We are appealing to everyone to seek the course of rule of law to bring about whatever his agitations are.”
