Nigerian Army to probe alleged complicity of personnel in priests’ kidnap

The Nigerian Army has disclosed that, it is going to probe  the alleged complicity of its officers in the kidnap of the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Samuel Kanu-Uche, and two other priests, just as the authority distanced itself from the allegation.

Penpushing reports that, Army spokesperson, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, while reacting to the allegations, declared that there were many questions still begging for answers, stressing that the allegations were unsubstantiated.

The military boss expressed concern and sympathy for the victims, noting that the insinuations were not entirely premised on any findings of investigations and therefore cannot be swallowed hook line and sinker.

“Given our professional disposition and zero tolerance for any misconduct in the Nigerian Army, we will take this weighty allegation seriously and approach the Prelate and the Methodist church to unravel the basis for the allegation”, Nwachukwu said

Penpushing further reports that, the statement added that the Nigerian Army has been notified of the insinuation making the rounds on social media, alleging complicity of troops of the Nigerian Army in the kidnap incident of the Methodist Prelate in Abia state recently.

‘While the Nigerian Army expresses concern and sympathy for the victim of this heinous crime and shares in his pains, the insinuation that troops are complicit in the kidnap incident is not entirely premised on any findings of investigations and therefore cannot be swallowed hook line and sinker. This allegation therefore raises some pertinent questions which are still unanswered’.

‘Given, the spate of insecurity in the region, the question would be, was the issue reported to the unit covering the area? Did the Methodist Church take the NA into confidence while negotiating the ransom with the kidnappers?’, the statement said

‘No formal complaint has been received by the unit. More worrisome is the fact that it was alleged that the ransom was paid in less than 24 hours. Was the ransome paid to troops? These are questions that beg for answers. Moreso, the NA unit, has not received any debrief from the Prelate or the Methodist Church’.

‘It is therefore, important to state that troops are deployed at Forward Operating Base(FOB) Okigwe and in front of the Abia State University Uturu and no information was made available to them or to 14 Brigade or any other formation, except the information making the rounds in the social media’.

‘It must be clarified that troops’ deployment in the Nigerian Army is not done with considerations for ethnic affiliation, hence a deployment of troops of Fulani ethnic extraction who as alleged by the Prelate, carried out the dastardly act is not our practice or modus operandi in the NA.

Penpushing reports that, it is recalled that, the Prelate and others were on Sunday abducted  on their way from a programme in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, and later, released after a ransom of N100 million was allegedly paid by the church.

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