The Nigerian Army has advised Nigerians to disregard a trending video clip circulating on social media where its personnel are seen destroying crops in a farm land.
In the forty-nine seconds clip seen by TODAY POLITICS, men dressed in what looked like a green military camouflage are seen with cutlasses destroying a maize farm.
Those who published it on social media said the incident occurred in Imo State after a farmer prevented a herder from grazing on the said farm.
But discrediting it, the army, often accused of colluding with criminals, said for failing to name the community which it occurred showed the purveyors were attempting to denigrate the reputation and image of the military.
Below is a statement from the spokesman of the Nigerian Army.
DISCLAIMER: DISREGARD DOCTORED VIDEO AIMED AT DENIGRATING THE NA
The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a doctored video footage released by secessionist sympathisers on Youtube, featuring blurred images of some persons dressed in green camouflage destroying a farmland in an undisclosed location, recently.
In an attempt to denegrate the reputation and image of the NA, authors of the video mischievously attributed the action of the persons to the military by falsely claiming they are soldiers and invariably personnel of the Nigerian Army.
However, following a fact finding investigation on the video by subjecting it to credible reverse image, it was discovered that the video was first published on YouTube channel “BIAFRA BOY” . The investigation also revealed that the image of the men in green camouflage was deliberately blurred to conceal their identity from viewers. Similarly the authors failed to identify the location, community, or Local Government Area the incident occured.
Given these facts, it is apparent that the video footage is a deliberate propaganda by ESN to bring the reputation and image of the NA to disrepute by portraying personnel of the NA as enemies of the people. Members of the general public are please urged to be warry of such negative propaganda materials and subject them to thorough scrutiny. We therefore urge the public to please discountenance the propaganda video as it is the machination of mischief makers targeting the Nigerian military.
We reassure the general public that the Nigerian Army will continue to operate professionally regardless of all divisive propaganda. We assure all peace loving Nigerians of our commitment to aid civil authorities in the containment of security challenges in line with constitutional provisions.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Brigadier General
Director Army Public Relations
24 July 2021
