The Nigeria Army has denied allegations that it is selectively issuing residential permits to individuals in Ohafia, Abia State.

It stated that the claim is entirely deceptive and a calculated attempt to cause disaffection and malicious intent.

A viral video currently in circulation on social media alleges that 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State, is issuing residential permits to individuals.

But in a statement on Wednesday, Acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations, Enugu, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, stated that there was no truth about the video which, according to him, surfaced sometime in 2021.

Unuakhalu said, ?The attention of Headquarters 82 Division, Nigerian Army, has been drawn to a misleading video currently circulating on social media that alleges that 14 Brigade is issuing residential permits to individuals of a specific ethnic group. This claim is entirely deceptive and a calculated attempt to cause disaffection and malicious intent as the video in question first surfaced in 2021. While the Division generally does not respond to baseless allegations, it is necessary to address this matter in order to set the record straight.

?For context, the residential permit featured in the video belonged to Mr. Ibrahim Saleh, who was intercepted by local vigilantes in 2021 while transiting through Isiukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State. The matter was thoroughly investigated and fully resolved at the time as the permit in question was issued to him while working in the barracks as part of the Barracks Investment Initiative Programme (BIIP).

?The BIIP is a Nigerian Army livestock initiative scheme aimed at empowering personnel and their families by providing them with skills and knowledge to engage in agro based businesses, which include rearing of cattle and other animals. The permit is purely given to a few Fulani herdsmen employed in the scheme due to their expertise and proper vetting procedure and documentation. It is thereafter retrieved on expiration or termination of employment. The renewed circulation of this outdated content is both misleading and disingenuous.?

It continued: ?The implication that 14 Brigade, or any formation of the Nigerian Army, is selectively issuing residential permits to individuals or any ethnic group is completely unfounded and without merit. Headquarters 82 Division unequivocally dissociates itself from any form of ethnic bias and preferential treatment. The resurfacing of this disproven narrative appears to be a calculated effort to undermine the credibility of the Nigerian Army and provoke unnecessary public anxiety.

?In this era of artificial intelligence and digitally manipulated content, we urge the public to remain vigilant and to rely only on accurate and verified information from credible sources. Headquarters 82 Division remains steadfast in its constitutional responsibilities and continues to operate with the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and impartiality.?

Unuakhalu appealed to citizens and stakeholders, particularly across the South-East region, to work collaboratively in promoting peace, unity, and mutual trust in the interest of national security and development. (The Guardian)

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