By KEMI KASUMU
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, Tuesday evening in Benin City, the Edo State capital, warned Nigerians against making unguarded comments that are capable of setting the nation on fire with their disparaging of the military over a Lagos judicial panel that is not yet confirmed.
He said that only a white paper from the report of the ENDSARS Judicial panel’s report in Lagos could confirm or otherwise dismiss the alleged incidents that have been circulated on the social media that there were killings during the protest in Lekki Toll Gate in the state.
General Irabor assured that the Nigerian Armed Forces remain committed to their professional calling of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria just as he cautioned Nigerians against making inciting comments on what is happening across the country.
Speaking to journalists shortly after a courtesy visit on Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, in Government House Benin where the governor called for support from the armed forces to check banditry and criminality in the state’s forests and waterways, Irabor said the operations of the armed forces should not be compared to that of the police, adding that his men and women remain professionals.
Irabor, who was on a farmiliarisation visit to military formations in the state, said: “I am sure those of you in the media must have seen that there is a report that was released though in my view a wrong channel that is making the rounds in the social media.
“Whether it is a true report, I can’t tell. But, I would like to indicate that the normal procedure is to have such a report submitted to the convening authority and then there will be a white paper based on which one can make informed comments.
“But, whatever you see currently, I will like to indicate that the armed forces of Nigeria is a professional armed forces. We are peopled by Nigerians and we remain committed to constitutional mandates.
“So, we do not, at this point, think that Nigerians should make disparaging remarks regarding the armed forces of Nigeria in the sense that we are professional armed forces and, if there are issues, of course, we address them within the ambits of the provision.
“It will not be right to disparage men and women, who have worked so hard to ensure that the territorial integrity of this nation is kept intact. So, in the meantime until I see the full report, I may not be able to… but I can assure you that the armed forces of Nigeria are well disciplined and we do not engage in any ignoble acts.
“If Nigerians don’t trust us, then we wouldn’t have been doing what we are doing. And in any case, it is the armed forces of Nigeria and remember, we are not talking about the police, we are talking about the armed forces with emphasis armed forces. So, when the armed forces are called out, it is because there is a need for the armed force.
“There is no one, who do not require and desire to live in peace and so, we need to understand that the armed forces is there to keep the peace, to provide the ambience that will enable each and every Nigerian to live up his desires in peace and harmony. So, let us not make inciting comments that will put the entire space on fire, that is not right.”
Earlier, Obaseki lauded the CDS for his continuous efforts at improving security in the country, urging the collaboration and support of the defence chief to eliminate bandits and other criminals from Edo forests.
According to him, “You are one person that we are very proud of; apart from being a well-decorated officer, in a short while, you have taken charge of the defense functions through your network. We have been watching with admiration the way you are coping and thriving with the very difficult challenge of stabilizing the security of this country.
Obaseki, while calling for more collaboration with the military to improve security in Edo, said, “We have been able to record quite a lot of success in relation to what is going on in the rest of the country. We have some challenges and we would like you to support us. We are currently experiencing problems in some of our forests.
