Army clarifies viral video of encounter with Anambra Deputy Governor during governorship poll

The Nigerian Army has refuted social media claims that its personnel attempted to interfere in the governorship election in Anambra State, describing a viral video involving Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the state’s deputy governor, as a “misrepresentation” of events.

The video, which circulated widely online, showed Ibezim confronting a team of soldiers at the Ukwu Oji Umubele polling unit, Awka Ward 5, on Saturday.

In the footage, the deputy governor questioned the soldiers’ presence, asking who authorised their deployment and whether they were permitted to be involved in the electoral process.

A background voice in the clip alleged that the soldiers were attempting to seize election materials and kidnap presiding officers, claims the officer in charge firmly denied on the spot.

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However, the Nigerian Army, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Sunday night, explained that the soldiers were deployed in response to a distress call from officials of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the polling centre.

Olabisi Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, stated that the distress call came in at about 8:20 p.m. from corps members who reported that they and other INEC staff were being held hostage by suspected political thugs.

“To set the record straight, approximately at about 2020 hours (8:20 p.m.), an officer of the 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) received a distress call from NYSC officials and corps members reporting that they and other INEC staff were being held hostage by suspected political thugs.
The report followed the unexplained disappearance of the collation officer assigned to the polling unit,” Army said.

It added that in line with the Army’s constitutional duty to aid civil authorities and protect citizens, a rapid response team comprising two officers and 12 soldiers was immediately dispatched to the location.

“Upon arrival, the troops met a chaotic scene involving several political figures, including the deputy governor, who challenged their presence.

“Despite the provocation and tension at the scene, Nigerian Army troops maintained utmost professionalism and restraint, successfully rescuing the corps members and INEC officials.

“The rescued personnel were later escorted safely to the INEC office, where collation continued peacefully”, the statement reads.

The Army maintained that the video circulating online lacked proper context and distorted the true purpose of its deployment, which it said was purely a humanitarian and security intervention aimed at protecting electoral officials and ensuring the election proceeded without further incident.

It described any contrary interpretation as “baseless, misleading, and regrettable.”

To prevent future misunderstandings, the Army said it had taken note of the conduct of some political actors during the episode and would engage the Anambra State Government to strengthen civil-military cooperation during future operations.

The statement reaffirmed the military’s commitment to neutrality, professionalism, and the protection of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, urging the public to disregard false narratives surrounding the incident.