The Nigerian Army has denied allegations of mass killings by its troops in the South-East region, describing it as “despicably false.”
The allegations were made by Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) terrorist group.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of army public relations, refuted Ekpa’s claims that have widely circulated on social media.
According to Nwachukwu, a thorough investigation was conducted, and no evidence was found to support the allegations.
“The troops shown in the video footage are actually personnel of the Nigerian Navy, not the Nigerian Army. They were engaged in a routine test firing of a weapon system”, Nwachukwu clarified.
Ekpa had alleged in a viral video that Nigerian Army troops were involved in mass killings of innocent people at Oliver and were disposing of the bodies in a river.
Nwachukwu said the allegations were intended to incite negative sentiments against the military and provoke unrest in the South-East region.
He, however, explained that the incident in question took place in the South-West region, but added, “there’s no evidence of individuals being shot or killed in the river.”
The army urged the public to disregard Ekpa’s false claims, describing them as attempts to incite unrest and violence. Nwachukwu reassured the public that the Nigerian Army and other security agencies were committed to maintaining peace and order and ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.
