Oko Masquerade Crisis: Commander 302 , Col Fagge Jibrin Denies Nigerian Army Involvement, Urges Soldiers To Make Their Families Priority

The Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Jibrin Fagge, today distanced the Nigerian Army officers and men from the crisis rocking the Oko community, hosting the Federal Polytechnic, Oko. He said those dragging the name of the Military in the crisis are mischief makers , describing their attitude as malicious.

Fagge spoke today in Onitsha, Anambra after he decorated nine soldiers recently promoted to various ranks within the regiment by the Nigeria army.

 

He said that the allegation that a soldier injured a masquerade as published were all hear say and  ``is malicious lies with no definite source’’, challenging those peddling the wicked rumour to disclose the source of the information.

He noted that the rumour must have been planted by those who are threatened by the army’s role in the joint security task force currently ridding Anambra of hoodlums and criminals.

His words: ``Soldiers were never there when the incident of masquerades clashing happened. While I personally contacted the DPO, SSS and President-General of the community; they confirmed that there was no such incident. Everybody was saying I heard  even the CP denied the allegation.

``So I keep wondering where the report, which although has no attributable source, came from and who is sponsoring such. All the stories told against the unknown soldiers were malicious lies and there is no truth in it.

‘’There is no way Army would kill somebody and hide the body and without them getting permission or directive before embarking on that journey , so the question is who called the Army? Which hospital did they take the body of the shot victim?

‘’What happened in Oko community was tradition and culture at play and that was not part of our brief but that of the police. So assuming something like that happened , the family should have reported to the police for record purposes and investigation.  Did they do that? But they were busy accusing Army of this and that. Where is the source of the story that a soldier shot and killed a masquerade in Oko. Who is the man they killed and in which hospital?  

‘’There was no Army patrol in Oko that day. Some alleged soldiers were at Igwe’s palace but there was nothing like that. There was no soldier in Igwe’s palace or the community that day. They are just malicious lies against the Army to tarnish our reputation . We don’t know about the masquerade and we were not there.

When asked if the traditional monarch of Oko or anybody from the community  or even the Polytechnic has called him about the incident, Fagge responded this way: I don’t have anything to do with them. It is a police matter and we have many irons already on hand to worry over civil disturbances. And there is no basis to speak with anybody on that crisis. And if there is something like that we would have known where the Army came from, and who invited them. So if any Army was brought in the person who brought them should say where he got them from and stop spreading wicked rumours’’.

  

Fagge noted that as an institution, the Nigeria army respects religion and traditional-cum-cultural institutions; adding: ``no officer or soldier will leave his professional duty to meddle with religious and tradition affairs’’.

He, however, urged journalists to crosscheck their facts; adding: ``I operate an open door office and when you call, I would give you immediate reply concerning the activities of officers and soldiers on the field’’.

He however urged soldiers to make the welfare of members of their families’ priority by providing their basic needs.

He noted that the essence of working and living a good life was for the benefit of ones’ immediate family and extended family.

``I want you to continue to be dedicated and committed to your duty and to the welfare of your family members.

``I always advise every soldier to be responsible with his salary for the betterment of those waiting for him at home, his immediate and extended family members,’’ he noted.

He assured residents of Anambra that officers and soldiers on internal security duties would continue to carry out their duties with a high sense of professionalism.

 
He said the exercise was part of the annual promotion exercise of the
Nigerian Army and insisted that to whom much is given, much is
expected. A total of seven officers including two female soldiers and
five male counterparts were decorated during the exercise.