Army Clarifies Viral Video of Confrontation with Anambra Deputy Governor

• The Nigerian Army has dismissed claims of misconduct following a viral video of its personnel’s confrontation with Anambra Deputy Governor
• The Army says troops were responding to a distress call from NYSC officials and INEC staff allegedly held hostage by suspected political thugs
• It described the viral clip as misleading and pledged to work with the Anambra Government to improve coordination

The Nigerian Army has offered clarification on the circumstances surrounding a viral video showing a tense encounter between its personnel and the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, during Saturday’s governorship election in Awka.

The footage, which quickly spread across social media, captured the deputy governor confronting a team of soldiers at Ukwu Oji Umubele, Awka Ward 5.

In the video, Dr Ibezim was seen demanding to know who authorised the military deployment and questioning their involvement in the electoral process.

A voice in the background accused the soldiers of attempting to seize election materials and abduct presiding officers, an allegation the soldiers immediately refuted.

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Soldiers acted on distress call from NYSC officials

In a statement released late Sunday through the Army’s official X handle, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lt. Col. Olabisi Ayeni, said the viral clip distorted the true events.

He explained that troops from the 302 Artillery Regiment were deployed following a distress call from National Youth Service Corps members and Independent National Electoral Commission staff.

According to him:

“To set the record straight, approximately at about 2020 hours (8:20 pm), an officer of the 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) received a distress call from NYSC officials and corps members reporting that corps members and other INEC staff were being held hostage by suspected political thugs.”

Ayeni added that the distress call came after the sudden disappearance of the collation officer assigned to the polling unit.

Acting under its constitutional mandate to support civil authorities and protect lives, the Army deployed a quick response team consisting of two officers and 12 soldiers to the scene.

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Army insists mission was purely humanitarian

Upon arrival, Ayeni said, the soldiers met a chaotic environment where several political actors, including the deputy governor, were present. He noted that despite the heated atmosphere, the troops exercised restraint and professionalism while rescuing the stranded corps members and INEC officials.

“The rescued personnel were subsequently escorted safely to the INEC office, where collation continued peacefully,” the statement read.

The Army maintained that the video circulating online lacked context and wrongly portrayed the soldiers’ actions.

It described the deployment as a humanitarian intervention aimed solely at securing the lives of electoral officers and ensuring the smooth conduct of the election.

Concluding, the statement said any interpretation suggesting otherwise was “baseless, misleading and regrettable.”

It also noted that the Army would engage the Anambra State Government to enhance coordination and understanding in future operations.

Ayodele predicts Anambra election outcome

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, expressed strong confidence that Charles Soludo will retain power in the Anambra state governorship election, crediting the governor's performance across key sectors.

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Primate Ayodele said there was no reason for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to lose sleep over the polls, insisting that Soludo’s achievements in infrastructure, education, and economy had made Anambra state better.

Ayodele insisted that the major opposition candidates should have stepped down for Governor Soludo.

Source: Legit.ng