Army denies CD claim on killings of 2000 Igbo youths

The Nigerian Army has refuted the ‘mass killing of Igbo youths’ allegation by the Campaign for Democracy (CD). Col. Sagir Musa, the Deputy Director Army Public Relations of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, denied the allegation in a statement in Awka on Sunday. He described the online publication ascribed to CD as “an “unjustified, invidious and over flogged accusation’’. He said the CD claimed that “no fewer than 2000 Igbo youths had been killed by the Nigerian Army under the guise of Rules of Engagement’’. He said that other publication allegations including “Military Killed 150 Pro-Biafra Protesters’’ had also been severally thoroughly refuted in many media platforms by the Nigerian Army. “It is the same position that this rejoinder has soundly adopted. “For emphasis and clarity, the Nigerian Army as an accountable, morally and professionally sound organisation had variously through its Human Rights Desk at the Army Headquarters, painstakingly investigated allegations of rights violations. “The results indicated specifically that this claim is false, malicious and should therefore be ignored for the sake of Nigeria.’’ He said that Army was under its constitutional authorization to aid Civil Authority and Military Aid to Civil Power and would continue to act in the best interest of the nation. “This included, de-escalating violence and checkmating security threats across the nation. “This task must be done, in spite of the sordid propaganda and possible politicization of the issue by ill meaning Nigerians,’’ Musa said. According to him, the relevant authorities in the South East are at liberty to set up an inquiry into the accusation to get to the roots and end of the obnoxious and unfounded claim. “Looking at the recurrent posture of this allegation, the 82 Division Nigerian Army wishes to state that relevant authorities in the South East are at liberty to set up an inquiry into this accusation. “This is with the view to getting to the roots and end of this obnoxious and unfounded claim,’’ he said. (NAN)