Army denies alleged detention of civilian over dealings with soldier’s girlfriend in Minna
The Nigerian Army has debunked reports alleging that two army officers detained a civilian over dealings with a soldier’s girlfriend in Minna.
A media report that alleged some officers of TRADOC NA connived to arrest and detain a civilian on the ‘Orders of the Commander’ over suspicions that he wanted to defraud a food vendor, who was also a girlfriend and business partner to the man.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Nigerian Army, in a statement, denied the report and described it as “misinformation.”
“Attention of the Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA) has been drawn to an unsubstantiated allegation published against the image of the command by an online media outlet (INDEPENDENT NIGERIA) on Wednesday, 16 October 2024,” the statement said.
According to the statement, it is essential to set the record straight regarding what transpired between Miss Lynda Moses (one of the food vendors in TRADOC Officers’ Mess) and Mr. Deekae Sunday Kiaka (a dismissed NAF personnel) of the Nigerian Airforce Base in Minna.
“Investigation revealed that Miss Lynda Moses had reported a case to the Military Police (MP) in Minna Military Cantonment sometime in September 2024, alleging theft against one fake Sgt. Deekae Sunday of the NAF Base in Minna.
“She alleged that the sum of N1.1 million was withdrawn from her First Bank account.
“Upon receipt of the case, the MP was able to arrest the suspect on 6 October 2024 since the offence was committed in Minna Cantonment when the suspect visited the victim at her business place. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the accused was a dismissed personnel of the NAF Minna. Investigation further revealed that the accused had been impersonating as a serving ‘Sgt’ in the NAF, whereas he had been dismissed from the NAF over a similar fraudulent crime in the past.”
The statement further explained that the suspect admitted that on the said date (25 September 2024), he came to the TRADOC Officers’ Mess to see Miss Lynda Moses, where he requested her mobile phone to play games while Lynda was attending to her customers at the sales point in TRADOC Mess.
“During interrogation, the suspect pleaded that the matter should be resolved by the MP in Minna Military Cantonment and should not be taken to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
“He wrote an undertaking to refund the stolen money while the MP asked him to get a surety to perfect the undertaking. The accused requested that his cellphone be given to him to call someone (who turned out to be another fiancée), Miss Chiwendu Nnadozie, a reporter for Daily Independent in Niger State.
“When Miss Chiwendu Nnadozie was invited to the MP office in the Cantonment, she introduced herself as the fiancée of the accused and accepted to stand as surety for him. This acceptance confirmed that the accused was double-dealing in terms of marriage, promising to marry both women at the same time.
“These allegations represent a calculated attempt by a felon to deliberately tarnish the good reputation of TRADOC NA and its leadership.
“We expected the media outlet (Independent Nigeria) to have thoroughly verified the claims before publication, as adhering to journalistic ethics is crucial. This unprofessional conduct is a disappointment to the journalism profession. Upon completion of the ongoing MP investigation, the case will be handed over to the NPF for possible prosecution.
“As we work together towards achieving security, peace, and development in our beloved nation, we expect all personnel of TRADOC NA, the centre of excellence for NA, to maintain discipline and uphold their unalloyed commitment in achieving the objectives of the command.”
