Army refutes claims of civilian detention linked to soldier’s girlfriend in Minna

The Nigerian Army has refuted claims that two army officers detained a civilian in Minna due to alleged dealings involving a soldier’s girlfriend.

NIGERIA NEWS 247 recalls a report (not from NIGERIA NEWS 247) that suggested officers from the Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA) colluded to arrest a civilian on the “Orders of the Commander” amid suspicions of an attempted fraud against a food vendor, who was also the girlfriend and business partner of the accused.

Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for TRADOC NA, issued a statement denying the allegations and labeling them as “misinformation.”

“The Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC NA) has been made aware of unsubstantiated claims published by an online media outlet (INDEPENDENT NIGERIA) on Wednesday, 16 October 2024,” the statement read.

It went on to clarify the events involving Miss Lynda Moses, one of the food vendors at the TRADOC Officers’ Mess, and Mr. Deekae Sunday Kiaka, a dismissed personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) based in Minna.

“Investigation revealed that Miss Lynda Moses reported a theft case to the Military Police (MP) in Minna Military Cantonment in September 2024, claiming that N1.1 million had been withdrawn from her First Bank account by a fake Sgt. Deekae Sunday at the NAF Base in Minna,” the statement explained.

Following the report, the MP arrested the suspect on 6 October 2024, as the offense occurred within the Minna Cantonment when the accused visited the victim at her place of business. It was later discovered that the suspect had been dismissed from the NAF for a similar fraudulent crime in the past and had been impersonating a serving ‘Sgt.’

The statement detailed that on 25 September 2024, the accused visited the TRADOC Officers’ Mess to see Miss Lynda Moses and requested her mobile phone to play games while she attended to her customers.

“During questioning, the suspect requested that the matter be handled by the MP in Minna Military Cantonment rather than the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). He wrote an undertaking to refund the stolen money and was asked to provide a surety for the agreement. He asked to use his cellphone to contact someone, who turned out to be another fiancée, Miss Chiwendu Nnadozie, a reporter for Daily Independent in Niger State,” the statement continued.

When Miss Chiwendu Nnadozie was invited to the MP office, she identified herself as the accused’s fiancée and agreed to act as his surety, confirming that the suspect was engaged in double dealings regarding marriage.

“These allegations are a calculated attempt by a felon to tarnish the reputation of TRADOC NA and its leadership. We expected the media outlet (Independent Nigeria) to have thoroughly verified these claims before publication, as adherence to journalistic ethics is crucial. This unprofessional conduct is disappointing for the journalism profession. Upon the completion of the ongoing MP investigation, the case will be forwarded to the NPF for potential prosecution.”

The statement concluded by emphasizing the need for all personnel of TRADOC NA to maintain discipline and uphold their commitment to the command’s objectives while working together for security, peace, and development in the nation.