Army dismisses viral video of soldier allegedly abandoned by colleagues

The Nigerian Army says the viral video of a soldier claiming to have been abandoned by his colleagues during an operation is a misrepresentation of facts and ploy to weep up public sentiment.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Thursday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu said that preliminary investigations had revealed that the soldier abandoned his colleagues during an ongoing clearance operation in Gurara, Niger State, contrary to the impression created in the video footage.

“Disappointingly, during an encounter, the said soldier abandoned his colleagues and absconded in an outright display of cowardice and possible sabotage, which negate the precepts of the military profession.

“Sensing the gravity of his action and its consequences, the soldier surreptitiously uploaded the video online in a calculated attempt to whip-up public sentiment and cover up his act of cowardice.

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“The soldier’s action amounts to a betrayal of the esprit de corps and camaraderie that is synonymous with a military unit and fighting formation, particularly during operations.

“The soldier’s conduct is therefore an aberration and against the ethics and core values of the military profession.

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“The video footage is thus, in all intent and purpose, a misrepresentation of what actually transpired between the soldier and his colleagues,” he said.

Nwachukwu said the soldier had since rejoined his unit, adding that further investigations were currently ongoing to unravel the reasons behind the unprofessional conduct.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that a video of a soldier had surfaced on social media on Wednesday praying to God to help him while claiming that his colleagues fled and abandoned him during an operation. (NAN)