THE Defence Headquarters have countered suggestions for a civil handover to the military, saying that soldiers are loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by Spokesperson Onyeama Nwachukwu on Monday evening titled ‘Nigerian Military remain loyal to the Constitution and Government of Nigeria,’ the Defence Headquarters dissociated the military from a statement made by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Robert Clarke alluding that the current administration should hand over to soldiers for a proper restructuring of the country.
According to the statement, the position of Clarke was anti-democratic and the organisation dissociated the military from the idea.
“We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the Civil Authority, firmly loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended,” the statement read in part.
Nwachukwu further said that the military would continue to discharge their constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s democracy, defence of the territorial integrity of the country as well as protection of lives and properties of citizens.
He further said the military high command wished to use the opportunity to warn ‘misguided politicians’ nursing the ambition to rule Nigeria outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts as the military under the current leadership remained resolute in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy and its growth.
“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda,” the military stated.
During an interview on Channels Tv, Clarke had suggested that the military should take over Nigeria ‘temporarily’ and divide Nigeria into six states.
Clarke, who spoke on the state of security in Nigeria, said the situation was worse than it was in 1982.
” I cannot guarantee Nigeria in another six months, the situation is so overwhelming. Nigeria is on the verge of collapse, Nigeria is worse than it was in 1982,” Clarke further said. Clarke is a staunch supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94