The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade said yesterday that the military has no apology to members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), the Shiites, over its clash with soldiers, pointing out that the defence of nation’s constitution and integrity was paramount to the force.
Briefing journalists yesterday on the 2015 activities of the Command, Oyebade explained that the action by the military was because the Islamic sect had formed a parallel government within a constituted authority.
He argued that the military has no issue with the Islamic sect, pointing out that even within the Force, some military personnel were Shiites by religious calling but they respected and obeyed constituted authority, and the military has no issue with them.
The Army General revealed that over 21 Boko Haram suspects were arrested, just as over 200 camps belonging to the insurgents and armed bandits were destroyed across North West during the period under review by the Command.
Oyebade displayed assorted weapons, including locally made ammunitions that were recovered from the bandits, particularly in Kaduna during the period.
He said that the North West zone is no longer a safe haven for Boko Haram and other criminals, while calling on the people to report any suspicious movement to security agencies.
Said Oyebade, “The Nigerian Army has paid heavily with the blood of its officers and men to protect this country, and so we have no apology to any group, either Shiites Islamic sect, Christian sect, even any pagan sect, that is threatening the peace of the country. We don’t have any issue with the Shiites or any sect at all in the land as long as they obey the law of the land.”
“But if any group tends to challenge constituted authority of the land, it means that such group does not respect the constitution of the land. Even in the military, we have Shiites members, but there is no issue with them because they are law-abiding citizens. But we will have issues with those who try or tend to create a state within a state and our rules of engagement is very clear; that is: when there is threat to a constituted authority, it must be arrested immediately before it goes full blown.”
He added, “We know the business of violence but we apply it professionally if the peace of the land is being threatened, so we are appealing to Nigerians who are bent on causing violence stay off.”
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