The Nigerian Army has reacted to a viral video which showed some none indigenes of Lagos state desperately trying to fill the slot reserved for indigenous Lagosians at the 86 regular recruits Intake of the NA.
In the video, some of the recruits from Kaduna State who could neither speak Yoruba nor give convincing account of their residency status, were seen making frantic efforts to defend their application.
Still reeling under the yoke of the recent terrorist attacks in Plateau State and other parts of the Northeast, Lagos residents and other citizens who commented on the video expressed shock at the possibility that potential terrorists may have infiltrated the ranks of the Nigerian Army.
However, in a swift reaction, the Nigeria Army said it orchestrated the process to expose the fake intakes in the first place as part of a broader strategy to ensure transparency and safeguard the sanctity of it’s recruitment process.
In a press statement signed by its Director of Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigeria Army threw more light on the disturbing development:
RE: CIRCULATION OF VIRAL VIDEO OF APPREHENDED FRAUDULENT CANDIDATES OF 86 REGULAR RECRUITS INTAKE IN LAGOS
The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a circulating video on social media depicting the arrest of some fraudulent candidates of the ongoing 86 Regular Recruits Intake, who were caught attempting to short-change indigenous candidates of Lagos State through dubious means.
The NA wishes to state that the arrest of the fraudulent candidates was a result of the commitment of the NA in upholding a transparent and credible recruitment process in line with its core values of integrity and fairness. The video is a pointer to one of the processes to which the candidates were subjected, in order to ensure only true indigenes of a particular State are recruited, using the slots of that state and not non- indigenes. The video in itself therefore, clearly shows that the process is transparent, as the State Representative, who is a prominent member of the recruitment team has been part and parcel of the process and was given unhindered access to do her job by scrutinizing the candidates’ State of origin, to ascertain the genuineness of their indigeneship claims.
The duty of the State Representative is to identify non-indigenes amongst candidates applying for recruitment and this is applicable in other States of the Federation.
We wish to inform the general public that the fraudulent act perpetrated by the three candidates who attempted to secure vacancies designated for candidates with Lagos State indigeneship is a serious breach of our recruitment process and will not be condoned.
We want to assure the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the extent of these fraudulent activities and to identify any individual(s) or unscrupulous syndicate(s) involved. We are dedicated to ensuring that only the most qualified and deserving candidates are selected to serve in the NA.
The NA will continue to work closely with relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for this misconduct are held accountable. The culprits involved will be handed over to the appropriate prosecuting agency. The NA is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served in this matter.
Consequently, we urge all prospective candidates to adhere to the principles of honesty and integrity throughout the recruitment process, as any attempt to manipulate the recruitment process will be met with the full force of the law.
The NA remains resolute in its mission to recruit the best and most deserving individuals to serve our nation. We appreciate the support and cooperation of the public, as we work to maintain the integrity of our recruitment process.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Major General
Director Army Public Relations
3 January 2024
