Intersociety: Igbos no longer trust Nigerian Army

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The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has highlighted reasons why Igbos may no longer trust the Nigeria Army. The group, in a statement by Emeka Umeagbalasi, its Chair, Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy & Good Governance; and Obianuju Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, affirmed that the greatest threat facing the Nigerian Army, is “its integrity and professionalism (if any) as well as its general acceptance and factorization into the multi ethno-religious federation of Nigeria is its present lopsided composition; designed and executed by the present Buhari/Osinbajo Administration since 29th May 2015.

“The gross lopsided composition of the officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army is substantially, if not totally responsible for woes facing it since June 2015. The referenced terminal virus haunting the Army is also the case with other branches of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police.” “Apart from the official logo of the Nigerian Army written in Arabic/Islamic code, instead of the country’s adopted English Language (only), the recent purge leading to unceremonious and unholy retirement of dozens of senior military officers dominated by officers of non Muslim religions is clearly a further evidence of the gross ethno-religious lopsidedness under complaint.

“Also, the case is the barefaced evidence in the present northernization of the commanding positions of the Nigerian Army and other military formations in Southeast Nigeria or Igbo Land. Most of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Naval formations and their commanding positions in Southeast are presently manned by Muslim personnel and officers of northern Nigeria. “Statistically speaking, (1) the GOC 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu is headed by Major. Gen. Adamu Baba Abubakar (Muslim); (2) the Deputy Army Director of Information of the 82 Division is Col. Sagir Musa (Muslim), (3) the Commanding Officer of the Onitsha 302 Artillery Military Police is Lt. Col. C.O. Ibrahim (Muslim), (4) the immediate past, if not still the Commander of 144 Battalion (Sector) of the 14 Brigade (in Ohafia); located at Ukwa West, who is now at the 14 Brigade Headquarters is Lt. Col. Umar Sidi Kasim (Muslim).

The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has highlighted reasons why Igbos may no longer trust the Nigeria Army. The group, in a statement by Emeka Umeagbalasi, its Chair, Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy & Good Governance; and Obianuju Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, affirmed that the greatest threat facing the Nigerian Army, is “its integrity and professionalism (if any) as well as its general acceptance and factorization into the multi ethno-religious federation of Nigeria is its present lopsided composition; designed and executed by the present Buhari/Osinbajo Administration since 29th May 2015. “The gross lopsided composition of the officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army is substantially, if not totally responsible for woes facing it since June 2015. The referenced terminal virus haunting the Army is also the case with other branches of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police.” “Apart from the official logo of the Nigerian Army written in Arabic/Islamic code, instead of the country’s adopted English Language (only), the recent purge leading to unceremonious and unholy retirement of dozens of senior military officers dominated by officers of non Muslim religions is clearly a further evidence of the gross ethno-religious lopsidedness under complaint.

“Also, the case is the barefaced evidence in the present northernization of the commanding positions of the Nigerian Army and other military formations in Southeast Nigeria or Igbo Land. Most of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Naval formations and their commanding positions in Southeast are presently manned by Muslim personnel and officers of northern Nigeria. “Statistically speaking, (1) the GOC 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu is headed by Major. Gen. Adamu Baba Abubakar (Muslim); (2) the Deputy Army Director of Information of the 82 Division is Col. Sagir Musa (Muslim), (3) the Commanding Officer of the Onitsha 302 Artillery Military Police is Lt. Col. C.O. Ibrahim (Muslim), (4) the immediate past, if not still the Commander of 144 Battalion (Sector) of the 14 Brigade (in Ohafia); located at Ukwa West, who is now at the 14 Brigade Headquarters is Lt. Col. Umar Sidi Kasim (Muslim).

“Also (5) the Brigade Commander of 14 Brigade, Ohafia is Brigadier Gen. Abdul Kalifah Ibrahim (Muslim), (6) the Commander of the Nigerian Navel School of Finance & Logistics, Owerre-Nta is Navy Captain Abdullahi Aminu (Muslim), (7) the Commanding Officer of 14 Field Engineering Regiment, Onitsha is Lt. Col. Abubakar Saleh (Muslim) and (8) the Commander, Naval Outpost, Onitsha (Ogbaru) is Navy Captain Mohammed Dahiru (Muslim). This is just to name but few. “It is therefore correct in its entirety to say that the mass killing by the Nigerian Army of unarmed and defenseless civilians of the Igbo Ethnic Nationality stock; forbidden locally, regionally and internationally both in war and non war situations, is solely rooted in the foregoing. It is on statistical, empirical and legal records that not less than 400 unarmed and defenseless citizens dominated by the active population of the Igbo ethnic nationality have been shot and killed by the Nigerian Army; between 30th of August 2015 and 14th of September 2017 or in the past two years. Not less than 450 others were shot and terminally injured.