Nigerian military says it is loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and the constitution, and it warned personnel to banish the ambition of coup against civilian authorities.
A statement of Monday by Defence spokesperson, Brig.-General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the military high command dissociates itself from a statement by Robert Clark, SAN, suggesting that current political leadership should hand over power to the military for the purpose of restructuring.
“Let it be stated categorically that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present Administration and all associated democratic institutions. We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the Civil Authority, firmly loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended,” the statement said.
“We shall continue to discharge our constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s democracy, defence of the territorial integrity of the country as well as protection of lives and property of citizens.
“The Military High Command wishes to use this opportunity to warn misguided politicians who nurse the inordinate ambition to rule this country outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts as the military under the current leadership remain resolute in the Defence of Nigeria’s democracy and its growth.
“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.”
“The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other other security agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge. Nigeria will know peace again.”
