By Paul Michael, Defence
A video of a soldier who claimed to have been abandoned in the bush by his colleagues is has been dismissed by the Nigerian Army as fake.
The soldier, simply identified as Musa, had in a video alleged that his colleagues left him in the bush. He claimed that that he was suffering to keep himself alive.
“I have suffered a lot. I am trying to save my life. I am only the one in the bush. The remaining soldiers have left me. God help me, God protect my life,” he alleged in a video now trending on social media.
Reacting to the claims, the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, described the purported video as misleading and diversionary, The Trumpet gathered.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Nigerian Army NA) has been drawn to a viral video making the rounds on social media, where a soldier on Wednesday, 30 March 2022 claimed to have been abandoned by his colleagues during operations.
“Contrary to the claims and impression created by the soldier in the video footage, preliminary investigations have revealed that the video footage was a deliberate attempt to shield himself from being accused of cowardice, having abandoned his colleagues during an ongoing clearance operation in Gurara, Niger State.
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“It could be recalled that troops of the NA, recently carried out a clearance operation in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State. Disappointingly, during an encounter, the said soldier abandoned his colleagues and absconded in an outright display of cowardice and possible sabotage, which negate the precepts of the military profession.
“Sensing the gravity of his action and its consequences, the soldier surreptitiously uploaded the video online in a calculated attempt to whip up public sentiment and cover up his act of cowardice.
“The soldier’s action amounts to a betrayal of the esprit de corps and comradery that are synonymous with a military unit and fighting formation, particularly during operations. The soldier’s conduct is therefore an aberration and against the ethics and core values of the military profession.
“The video footage is thus, in all intent, and purpose misrepresentation of what transpired between the soldier and his colleagues.
“The soldier has rejoined his unit and further investigations are currently ongoing to unravel the reasons behind his unprofessional conduct.”
