Nigeria: Army Probes Soldiers' Presence At Gbenga Daniel's Political Event

The Army has repeatedly emphasised its non-partisan stance and warned its personnel to stay off activities that could be interpreted as political.

The Nigerian Army has launched an internal inquiry into the presence of soldiers at a political event on 29 November, reportedly linked to former Governor Gbenga Daniel in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Godwin Ugochukwu Nwamba, a brigadier general and commander of the 35 Artillery Brigade in Abeokuta, told PREMIUM TIMES that he became aware of the incident after a complaint was lodged about soldiers allegedly providing security at the gathering.

General Nwamba said those opposed to Mr Daniels, an incumbent senator, accused the commander of Sappers Barracks, Ilese-Ijebu, of deploying soldiers to the area, even though securing political events is the responsibility of the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Brigade Commander said he immediately queried the battalion commander and demanded an explanation.

According to him, the commanding officer of Sappers Barracks denied deploying troops specifically for the political rally. The officer claimed instead that the soldiers seen at the venue were only patrolling their designated areas of responsibility as part of routine operational duties.

Brigadier General Nwamba said the Army is currently verifying the officer's claims.

"We acted on the complaint immediately," he told PREMIUM TIMES. "The battalion commander has been asked to explain, and he said his men were not deployed for the political event but were on a normal patrol. We are checking and verifying all the details."

The Army has repeatedly emphasised its non-partisan stance and maintains that its personnel must not be involved in activities that could be interpreted as political engagement or support.

The brigade commander said the Army and its personnel are professional and non-partisan, adding that further actions on the matter would depend on the outcome of the ongoing internal review.

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