BEVERLY HILLS, June 23, (THEWILL) – The Defence Headquarters has described the online report alleging that that some senior military officers were scheming to overthrow the government of President Muhammadu Buhari through a coup d’état as baseless and a complete propaganda, stressing that the report is meant to heat up the polity and cause public apprehension.
Groups of militants under the auspices of Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, which had threatened to launch six missiles in the Niger Delta region, stated this, maintaining that persons behind the coup plot were planning to instigate civil unrest as part of their strategies to actualise the scheme.
But the Nigerian Armed Forces denied the allegation in a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, reiterated its total subordination to civil authority, insisting that the said story is concocted to achieve cheap publicity.
According to Abubakar, “the attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to an online publication by Sahara Reporters that the military intends to overthrow the civilian administration of President Mohammed Buhari.
“The Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin wishes to assure our highly respected political leaders and the entire Nigerians that the military will continue to be apolitical and will do everything possible to defend and deepen our democratic governance which is the best, acceptable and legitimate form of government the world over.
“The Defence Headquarters restates its total subordination to civil authority and upholding the supremacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and will continue to defend all democratic structures and will never yield to blackmail and distractions from fifth columnist. Therefore this unfounded story should be discountenance in its entirety.
“In dealing with the myriad of security challenges across the country, the military will continue to remain focus and deploy every available resources to reposition our forces to carry out their constitutional roles.”
The Defence spokesman went on to announce the appointment of Rear Admiral Joseph Osa Okojie as the new commander for Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta, adding that the appointment takes immediate effect.
Okojie is who until his present appointment was the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Lagos.
It would be recalled that Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta was recently scrapped and replaced with Operation Delta Safe.
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