The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned politicians not drag the military into their issues.
It said a viral online report credited to the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, where officers and politicians were warned against coup, was the handiwork of those it called mischief makers with the intent to cause disharmony in the polity.
Acting Director of Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, warned, in a statement, that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would deal decisively with any person or group of persons that wants to draw it into partisan politics.
The statement said: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to a misleading publication by an online newspaper …on Nigerian military warning politicians and officers against a coup, which it credited to Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army spokesman.
“The publication is a handiwork of mischief makers and enemies of the state. It is a deliberate and calculated attempt to mislead the general public aimed at causing disharmony in the polity.
“The online newspaper manipulated with the intent of disinformation a previous message released in May 2021 by the then Director Defence Information, who is the current Army spokesperson. It is a malicious attempt to bring the military to disrepute. It is obvious that the online newspaper has its own sinister intention to cause confusion.
“The military High Command hereby warns all mischief makers and their proxies not to draw the military into their engagements. The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains apolitical and would not hesitate to deal decisively with any person or group of persons that wants to tarnish its image or draw it into partisan politics.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains loyal to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), and also sworn to defend our democracy as well the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”