The Nigerian Army had set up a 9-member Committee headed by Major Gen. T.A. Gagariga in March 2019 to probe the conduct of its personnel in the 2019 General elections. This followed allegations of misconduct against the Army in some parts of the country during the elections. In a statement issued on Sunday, 17th June 2019 by the Army Spokesman, Colonel Sagir Musa, the Army absolved itself and its personnel of any wrongdoing in its Operation ‘Safe Conduct 2019’ during the elections, and described most allegations in the petitions it received, as untrue, baseless and unsubstantiated. According to the statement, “The Committee received submissions from some individuals in the State which revealed that painting Nigerian Army as the aggressor during the elections was a deliberate attempt by some individuals to tarnish the Nigerian Army’s image”. The Army further described the allegations of an assassination attempt, imposition of curfew in Rivers State, abduction and detention of INEC staff and diversion of INEC materials, as misrepresented. The statement however noted that the unprofessional conduct of some personnel was still under investigation and if found guilty, appropriate sanctions will be meted out to them according to military law. It further noted that the Army would embark on an administrative transfer of some personnel from the 6 Division in Rivers State to douse tension in the area. The Committee is said to have met with all stakeholders, including the Governors of Bayelsa and Rivers States before arriving at its decisions.
It will be recalled that in parts of Rivers State, there were reports of military involvement in the elections, to the extent of obstructing observers’ access to collation centres, intimidation of voters and INEC and ad-hoc staff.
Most observers have however dismissed the Army probe report as lacking in credibility as the Army cannot be in position to investigate itself, as that would make it a judge in its own cause. Observers continue to call for an independent probe of the Army’s role in the 2019 General elections.