Security agencies have arrested four candidates who attempted to enlist in the Nigerian Army as Lagos indigenes while they are not from the state.

A viral video captured the candidates, of the 86 Regular Recruits Intake, who are from Kaduna State in the North claiming to be from the South-West state.

But when they were asked to speak Yoruba, the language widely used in Lagos and the South-West, they could not.

In the wake of the development, the Nigerian Army described it as a “serious breach” that won’t be condoned.

“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,” the Nigerian Army spokesman Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said late Wednesday.

“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,” he added.

Nwachukwu said the arrest of the candidates was a result of the commitment of the Nigerian army in upholding a transparent and credible recruitment process in line with its core values of integrity and fairness.

The video, he said, is a pointer to one of the processes to which the candidates were subjected, in order to ensure only true indigenes of a particular Stateare recruited, using the slots of that state and not non-indigenes.

He said the video clearly showed that the process was transparent, adding that the State Representative, who is a prominent member of the recruitment team has been part and parcel of the process.

According to him, the representative was given unhindered access to do her job by scrutinising the candidates’ state of origin, to ascertain the genuineness of their 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 indigenes 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 Nigerian army,” he said.

Nwachukwu said the army would continue to work closely with relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for the misconduct were held accountable.

He added that the culprits involved would be handed over to theappropriate prosecuting agency.

He reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian army to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice was served in the 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 Nigerian army 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,” he added. (Pieced together from reports by Channels TV and NAN)