Group warns against smear campaigns targeted at Buratai, past service chiefs
- Nigeria First has warned against plans to embark on a smear campaign against the past service chiefs
- The group said some elements are spreading fake news on the activities of the former chief of army staff during his tenure
- Nigeria First also condemned the allegations that some Igbo soldiers were secretly killed by the Nigerian army under General Buratai (retired)
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A group, Nigeria First on Thursday, February 4, alleged moves by some individuals and international organisations to launch a smear campaign against the immediate past chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retired).
Nigeria First, in a statement signed by its secretary-general, Augustine Adie, and seen by Legit.ng the individuals also plan to assassinate the character of some notable Nigerians including other service chiefs who retired alongside Buratai.
Adie said the recent alleged killing of Igbo soldiers by the Nigerian army under Buratai's watch is one of those.
He said these group of individuals have been mobilised to cast aspersion on the character of the immediate past army chief by calling his stewardship into question.
Source: Twitter
Adie also said that the despicable elements would go any length to destroy the Nigerian army by publishing baseless, fictitious, and unsubstantiated reports using ethnicity and religion to break its ranks.
Adding that the overarching objective is to discredit all the notable achievements of Buratai while in office, Adie said those behind these claims are doing everything possible to discourage the new service chiefs from delivering on the mandate of the present administration.
Adie said:
"Nigeria First as an organization is indeed aware that these despicable elements would go any length to destroy the Nigerian army by publishing baseless, fictitious and unsubstantiated reports using ethnicity and religion to break the ranks of the Nigerian army in an attempt to destroy the Nigerian army as an institution."
"One of such instances is the recent diatribe alleging the immediate past chief of army staff, indeed ordered for the killing of Igbos by troops of the Nigerian army."
He further condemned this act of sabotage in the strongest terms, warning those fanning the drums of religious and ethnic war in the country to desist from such for peace and tranquillity.
The group said that the years of the Tukur Buratai leadership as COAS of the Nigerian Army would go down in history as one of the most challenging chapters in Nigeria's book.
Nigeria First, however, urged all well-meaning Nigerians must rise to the occasion by speaking in one voice in this critical point of our existence.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, February 4, forwarded the names of the immediate past service chiefs to the Nigerian Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.
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The nominees are Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (retired), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (retired), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (retired), are to be screened by the Senate for an appointment.
Also, a group, the National Democratic Front (NDF) urged the past service chiefs to always make themselves available for consultations by the newly appointed successors.
The group said that the wealth of experience the past service chiefs possess could be used by their new colleagues in ending the war against terrorism in Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
