The Nigerian Army has said that the recent statement credited to the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Emma Okah, that some members of the Peoples Democratic Party stopped the Commander Six Military Intelligence Brigade, Brigadier-General Nasiru Najaja from accessing the Port Harcourt CBN premises was slanderous.
Okah had in a statement hailed members of the PDP for preventing Brig. Gen Najaja and his men from accessing the CBN premises.
The army said for the avoidance of doubt, as part of its constitutional responsibility of aiding civil authority and its mandate of safeguarding Key Points and Vulnerable Points of the country, troops of six Division of the Nigerian Army were accordingly deployed and further reinforced at various locations including the CBN Port Harcourt where INEC deposited sensitive materials before, during and after elections.
Spokesman of the Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu in a statement said Brigadier-General Najaja as the coordinator of all deployments was at the CBN Port Harcourt and other locations to assess the level of troops’ deployment and alertness.
Iliyasu said the deployment must have thwarted the sinister plans of Okah and the PDP thereby making such frustrating statements.
The statement consequently warned Emma Okah and his cohorts to henceforth restrict their politicking to themselves and avoid dragging the respected institution of the Nigerian Army and its personnel for cheap popularity.
He said the Six Division and indeed the Nigerian Army have over time reiterated and genuinely demonstrated our neutrality and apolitical posture and will continue to play our constitutional mandates responsively and professionally despite the distractions.
The Nigerian Army, therefore, demanded an unreserved apology and withdrawal of the slanderous statement by Emma Okah against the person of Brigadier-General Nasiru Najaja within 72 Hours of this publication failure of which will lead to institution of a legal proceedings.
The statement added; “The attention of Headquarters 6 Division Nigerian Army (NA) is drawn to some unscrupulous and wicked assertions by one Barr Emma Okah who claims to be the Director of Information and Communication of PDP Rivers State in a statement issued and published in Scannews, an online medium.
“In the most bizarre and slanderous statement, Okah criminally and frivolously accused the person of a respected professional (Brig Gen Nasiru Najaja) the Commander 6 Military Intelligence Brigade to the effect that the senior officer was prevented access to the Port Harcourt CBN premises by some so called PDP members who stopped him from tampering with sensitive electoral materials.
“Okah further went ahead to brazenly accuse the institution of the 6 Division for planning to rig the election in favour of another political party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, as part of the NA’s constitutional responsibility of aiding civil authority and our mandate to safeguarding Key Points and Vulnerable Points of our dear nation, troops of 6 Division NA were accordingly deployed and further reinforced at various locations including the CBN Port Harcourt where INEC deposit sensitive materials before, during and after elections.
“Brig Gen Najaja as the coordinator of all deployments was at the CBN Port Harcourt and other locations to assess the level of troops’ deployment and alertness. This deployment must have thwarted Mr. Okah’s sinister plans and that of his pay masters thereby making such frustrating statements.
“Furthermore, Emma Okah and his cohorts are advised to henceforth restrict their politicking to themselves and avoid dragging the respected institution of the NA and its personnel for cheap popularity.
“To this end, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division/ Land Component Commander (LCC) JTF OPDS Maj Gen Jamil Sarham wish to reassure the good people of Rivers State and indeed the Niger Delta region of the Division’s unflinching resolve to protection of lives and properties in conjunction with other security agencies for a conducive atmosphere in the entire region. He further thanks the people for their continued support and cooperation to the Division in the area of information delivery which greatly assists the operations of the Division and urges them to do more.”
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