Military: Let’s Not Encourage Illegality in the Name of Militia

The military authorities have admonished Nigerians to ensure that illegality is not encouraged in the name of militia, noting that “we have enough experience across the board that when it starts the end is often what even those who started it can no longer control.”

Director of Military Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, who noted this during an interaction with journalists at the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Jos, was clearing the air on the mixed information that trailed the recent killing in parts of Wase local government area of Plateau State.

He said, “What has been happening in the area, to the extent that some people that constitute themselves into militia have the effrontery (or let me say, the courage) to organise an ambush against troops on patrol, in fact, not just ambush, but ambushed and killed soldiers on patrol and abduct them, to the extent that soldiers are found killed and their bodies mutilated, is most unfortunate.

“In the North-East, we found groups who have volunteered to provide support for soldiers, but they are under control. But where a militia group decides to constitute a threat to the security of all; we should not encourage it.

“It is not correct, as seen in some syndicated stories, that it was a revenge mission. But the military will not tolerate the abuse of the right of Nigerians anywhere. It is not true that there’s an orchestrated plan to eliminate anybody. The military and other security agents are created to protect Nigerians; and that is what we do. But if anything is done against the norms of the profession it will not be condoned; it will be duly dealt it.”