Nigerian Army Condemns Smear Campaign By Sahara Reporters

The Nigerian Army has condemned a smear campaign by Sahara Reporters aimed at inciting violence and destabilizing the country. 

The army said the report, filled with false allegations of corruption, nepotism, ethnic and religious bias within the Nigerian Army, was completely unfounded and goes against the principles of national unity that the army represents.

This was contained in a statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, spokesperson of the Army, on Tuesday. 

Nwachukwu said the report particularly targeted the selection process for competent troops for Peace Support Operations (PSO), which has earned the Nigerian Army international recognition for its professionalism and discipline. 

He added that the allegations made by Sahara Reporters show a complete lack of understanding of the routine processes involved in the army's deployment exercises.

He explained that it was evident that Sahara Reporters was driven by a misguided agenda to sow discord and chaos in the nation. 

He added that their false narratives and harmful stories aim to tarnish the reputation of the Nigerian Army and distract it from its crucial duties of defending the nation's sovereignty and maintaining peace.

He further explained that while the Nigerian Army would typically ignore the unprofessional and sensational journalism, the gravity of the falsehoods propagated by the medium necessitated a response.

Nwachukwu added that the clarification was essential to uphold the truth and honour the dedication of the selfless officers and soldiers who continuously make sacrifices for the nation's security and global peace.

"The Nigerian Army has noted with dismay, a mischievous and systematic smear campaign by Sahara Reporters, aimed at inciting troops, heating up the polity and destabilising the country through spurious, baseless and false alarm on corruption, nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry within the Nigerian Army (NA). 

"A report which could be best described as being at total dissonance and aberance with the virtues and symbol of national unity, which the NA and indeed the Armed Forces of Nigeria represent. 

"The report also contained some unimaginable slurs targeted at denigrating and demonizing the procedure for the selection of competent troops for Peace Support Operations (PSO), which has over the years earned the NA very well-deserved encomiums and enviable status in the comity of nations in global defence, as a professional, hard-fighting, and disciplined institution.

"Considering the unprofessional and irresponsible manner in which the smear allegations were concocted against the NA, it clearly depicts a delusional perception and an abysmal bereftness of the slightest clue on routine processes of deployment exercises in the NA. 

"This incorrigible attitude has only further crystalized the inordinate desire of Sahara Reporters to incite mayhem and breakdown of law and order in a concerted effort to engender violence and destabilize the nation, through devious desperate and self-serving machinations.

"It is expedient to state that the real intention or otherwise of the infamous online media in publishing such toxic concoctions at this critical period is targeted at causing disaffection within a united and formidable military.

 "It is clear that deliberate falsehood and noxious narratives orchestrated by the online media were to adorn the Nigerian Army in an unfitting garb of infamy calculated to whip up unnecessary aspersion to distract the NA," Nwachukwu stated.