In a heart-wrenching editorial, Nigeria’s Punch newspaper has written Army Chief Tukur Buratai condemning the Nigerian army under his command for having outstepped their constitutional and ethical boundaries, becoming a divine force to themselves, killing Nigerians at will as judge, jury and executioner.
The article listed dozens of cases of victims recently maimed or killed in swathes of abundant army brutality.
“Unrestrained by their superiors, Nigerian soldiers are running wild again, landing mortal blows on the citizens that they are paid to protect. While some victims of the recent cases of abuse by Nigerian Army personnel are lucky to escape with injuries, others have met their untimely deaths. Among the injured is a lawyer based in Delta State. In Ogun State, soldiers, however, battered a man to death. The upsurge in abuse by soldiers is ironic in a democratic setting.
Regrettably, these incidents are not isolated cases: they hint at a well-established attitudinal problem in the ranks of our soldiers. It is an indictment of the system and the top brass, which subtly encourages disrespect of democratic norms. Whether in the traffic, in queues or social gatherings, the conduct of soldiers leaves much to be desired. This places a huge burden on the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to clean up the soiled image of the Army.” Read full
“Unrestrained by their superiors, Nigerian soldiers are running wild again, landing mortal blows on the citizens that they are paid to protect. While some victims of the recent cases of abuse by Nigerian Army personnel are lucky to escape with injuries, others have met their untimely deaths. Among the injured is a lawyer based in Delta State. In Ogun State, soldiers, however, battered a man to death. The upsurge in abuse by soldiers is ironic in a democratic setting.
Regrettably, these incidents are not isolated cases: they hint at a well-established attitudinal problem in the ranks of our soldiers. It is an indictment of the system and the top brass, which subtly encourages disrespect of democratic norms. Whether in the traffic, in queues or social gatherings, the conduct of soldiers leaves much to be desired. This places a huge burden on the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to clean up the soiled image of the Army.” Read full
