The Nigeria Army (NA) Headquarters has commenced investigation into viral video of soldiers kept in an overcrowded cell and protesting poor feeding at 8 Division detention facility in Sokoto State.
One of the protesting soldiers was shot while protesting the condition of the holding facility.
A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Sokoto Barracks detention facility incident was unfortunate and an embarrassment to the administrative efforts of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.
He said the COAS has “instituted an appropriate investigation into the incident to determine whether it is an isolated or widespread situation in similar detention facilities.
“While the Service regrets and has gleaned some lessons from the incident, it will, however, not condone the manner the inmates expressed their purported grievance.”
He continued, “Mutiny and conduct prejudicial to Service order are grievous misconducts, and this very incident epitomises such. As such, as Army, on the one side, goes ahead to implement the COAS directive to look into the state of all NA detention facilities, as detainees’ lives also matter, the Service shall not shy away from appropriately sanctioning the soldiers involved in the unruly behaviour in its Sokoto detention facility for failing to exhaust all available options to channel their complaints to the appropriate authorities and if it was discovered they did and nothing was done, necessary administrative actions will be taken against anyone found to have failed to discharge his/her duties effectively.”
He said although the Service was mindful of its subjective oversight engagements by statutory bodies, “it remains primarily a responsible, self-regulating professional body.”
He reiterated the commitment of the NA to ensuring that everyone, “even those found guilty of aiding terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits, and are awaiting confirmation of their sentencing, as it has been discovered in the Sokoto case is accorded a relatively decent life until their judgment is confirmed and executed.
“This commitment underscores the NA’s dedication to upholding professional standards and maintaining a just and fair system.”
The statement appreciated Nigerians for their concern and support and pledged to remain focused on its drive to defeating security challenges facing the nation in conjunction with sister Services and other security agencies.
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