The Nigerian Army has disowned a viral video purporting to show the arrest of a foreign arms dealer, Shehu Ali Kachalla, as a recent development linked to its operations in Zamfara State.
A statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations Lt.-Col. Appolonia Anele stated categorically “that the said video is not recent”.
She explained that the individual featured in the footage Shehu, Ali Kachalla, a 30-year-old Nigerien national, was arrested by the Zamfara State Police Command on 14 May, 2021 in a joint intelligence-led operation involving operatives of the Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigeria Police Force.
Lt.-Col. Anele said the suspect had confessed to have illegally supplied over 450 rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to criminal elements across Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger States.
According to her, while the suspect in the 2021 case alleged collusion by an unnamed security personnel, no Nigerian Army personnel was indicted or arrested in connection with the matter.
“The resurgence of the old video on social media is therefore, at best, aimed at misinforming the public, while undermining the ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-banditry efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” she said.
The Director declared that the Nigerian Army maintains a zero-tolerance policy for unprofessional conducts, and where there are proven cases of such involving its personnel, appropriate disciplinary actions are always taken in line with the Armed Forces Act and other extant military regulations.
She therefore, urged the general public to disregard the recirculated video as outdated and misleading.
“We also advise content creators and social media influencers to verify the authenticity and date of materials before sharing same in order to avoid unnecessary panic or confusion,” she added.
She reiterated that the Nigerian Army remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
She assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to collaborate with sister security agencies and communities in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and other forms of criminality threatening peace and stability in the country.
