The Nigerian Army has been made aware of a false report that circulated in several print and online media outlets, implying that soldiers broke into a retired Army officer ‘s Enugu home and forcibly removed his family. Additionally, it was claimed that during the eviction, troops beat his wife and kids. In addition to being false, this report aims to harm the Nigerian Army’s reputation and image. Although the NA would have preferred to remain silent, it is necessary to clarify the facts and remove any doubts over the expulsion of the retired senior officer.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of army public relations, stated in a statement to journalists in Abuja that House 7 on Abakaliki Lane is one of the Federal Government homes housing Nigerian Army personnel in Enugu for more than two decades. When Colonel Ugwoke (Rtd), then Major EL Ugwoke, was appointed to the position of Deputy Commander of the 82 Division Intelligence Group in 2007, he was given the property to use as his official residence. After requesting that his family be permitted to stay in Enugu for convenience rather than having to move them around, the officer remained to live there even after being transferred out of the division. However, it was later uncovered that the retired senior officer solicited the monetization of the house through various Enugu State Government officials on three separate times while questionably using the official letterhead of his post.
A committee was established by the then-General Officer Commanding (GOC) in 2020 to investigate the status of the aforementioned property after it became apparent that the Retired Army Officer was attempting to improperly appropriate to himself the official quarters (House 7 on Abakaliki Lane), which was still the property of the 82 Division Nigerian Army through the State Government. The committee’s findings are as follows:
The Enugu State Government, along with other Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies, have occupied House 7 on Abakaliki Lane GRA Enugu, which is located on plot R/30B old GRA Enugu, since the end of the civil war. This fact is supported by the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development’s search of the property, which determined that there was no record of ownership of the property in its archives.
b. One of the homes that the previous administration gave to the 82 Division to help with its housing problems was House 7 on Abakaliki Lane GRA in Enugu State.
b. That the aforementioned property was not one of the 26 houses that the Enugu State Government was formally given in 2015.
d. That there are no records proving that the aforementioned property was bought or sold by anyone.
It is important to remember that officers of the NA who reside in institutionalized homes are required to leave their residences when on assignment or upon retirement. Although the Retired Army Officer was fully aware of the implications for the accommodation status of other posted-in and serving officers, he refused to comply.
The retired senior officer’s wife and children were allegedly brutalized, according to the deceptive publication, which is an outright lie intended to incite strong emotions. Without a doubt, the Nigerian Army is a disciplined organization that has the utmost respect for the institution of the family and the weak, especially women and children. The author’s portrayal of the situation is thus a façade, thus it should be regarded with a grain of salt. The ejection procedure was audio-visually recorded because it was anticipated that such a claim may surface. Without a doubt, the wife and kids suffered abuse, and no property was harmed during the removal. To make room for other serving officers, the retired senior officer’s possessions were merely moved from the residence in question to his personal residence at 127 Park Avenue, GRA Enugu. This came after the retired officer had received three prior official notices requesting that he evacuate the home following his retirement in 2021, as well as numerous appeals.
The general audience is urged to ignore this false release because it lacks the details of what actually happened. The Nigerian Army will not give up on providing for the health and wellbeing of its active-duty and retired personnel while remaining within the bounds of the law.
