The Nigerian Army has rubbished the claims of a man purporting to be a soldier who alleged a fresh mutiny in a BBC interview.

Defence Headquarters in a statement issued this evening in Abuja declared the man a coward, saying: “That degree of cowardice is not in the character of a real soldier of the Nigerian Army. The series of lies contained in the alleged responses of the faceless person referred to as a soldier confirms the whole arrangement as another step of the mischief makers working for terrorists.”

Dismissing the man’s claims, Defence Spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in a statement: “No soldier has been sent on any mission without being armed. Each soldiers answers for his action in terms of discipline.

“Anyone who knows the military reward for mutiny will not join another person to try it. The overwhelming majority of the Nigerian soldiers remain as brave and disciplined as ever. They will certainly not join any renegade, coward, deserter or those trying to incite mutiny in the military to betray the nation at time like this, in a way that impostor told his interviewers. His claims are false.

“Certainly soldiers are not being sent to die. We may not have everything now, but we are improving on weapons and equipment rapidly.”

•Photo shows Defence Spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade.