Army says kidnapped Methodist Prelate did not lodge complaints with Authority
Army says kidnapped Methodist Prelate did not lodge complaints with Authority
The Nigerian Army (NA) has said that the Methodist Prelate Samuel Kanu who was kidnapped failed to lodge any complain with the Army on his ordeal.
The Prelate had complained that soldiers were not far from the area he was kidnapped. He said his kidnappers were Fulani while the soldiers around the vicinity were all of Fulani extraction.
In a statement obtained by Irohinoodua on Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu exonerated the Army from the ordeal of the kidnapped clergymen.
He said the Prelate has not made any official report for the army to act on.
He cautioned on accepting all what the Prelate said prior investigations.
He said the payment of ransom in less than 24 hours was curious.
He said the Army shares the pains of victims of the crime crimes but berated any attempt to link soldiers prior investigations adding that what the Prelate said “cannot be swallowed hook line and sinker”.
He said “Given, the spate of insecurity in the region, the question would be, was the issue reported to the unit covering the area?”, he quipped.
He asked further “Did the Methodist Church take the Nigerian Army into confidence while negotiating the ransom with the kidnappers?
“Was the ransom paid to troops? These are questions that beg for answers”, Nwachukwu further asked.
The Army said not report has been received by the command nor any sent from Prelate or the Methodist Church.
According to him troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base(FOB) Okigwe, Abia State University Uturu and the 14 Brigade have received no information about the abduction.
Nwachukwu said the standard in the Army is to deploy without ethnic colours.
“Hence a deployment of troops of Fulani ethnic extraction who as alleged by the Prelate, carried out the dastardly act is not our practice or modus operandi in the Nigeria Army.”
The Army said it has its zero tolerance for any misdeed by its officers and rating.
