A Muslim group, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI has faulted the redeployment of two officers, the Commandant of the Armed Forces and Staff College, Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi Kure and the Corps Commander, Infantry Jaji, Major General,Muhammad D. Isa after the recent bomb blast that hit a church at the military cantonment.
JNI in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu accused the defence headquarters of double standards by using “two different approaches to addressing the same issue”.JNI said “While reiterating our condemnation of the blasts and emphasising the need for the immediate thorough investigations into the matter, we want to state that the immediate removal of the two officers does not speak well of the military who are hitherto known to be careful and objective in dealing with sensitive issues of national interest.
The statement continued ,“We cannot comprehend why the use of two different approaches to addressing the same issue. Nigerians may not understand why would the two Jaji officers be removed in connection to the blasts even before any proper investigation, while no immediate posting out could follow the bombings at the 1 Mechanised Division and the Police Headquarters which preceded it.
“The fact that the two officers who were swiftly removed were Muslims, and were replaced by two officers who are non-Muslims makes any discerning observer to be suspicious of the motives behind the whole exercise. It is our sincere concern to which we make bold to state, that any attempt at politicising the issue of security in Nigeria will not only worsen our security situation but will also continue to polarise the military family and the entire security system along religious and ethnic divides, something that would not augur well for the future of our dear nation.”
Read the full text of the JNI statement below:
PRESS RELEASE: ON THE REMOVAL OF THE TWO JAJI OFFICERS
The attention of the headquarters of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has been drawn to a report by some national dailies, notably Sunday Trust of December 2, 2012, that following the unfortunate bomb blasts which rocked Jaji Military Cantonment on Sunday 25th November 2012 that claimed the lives of 15 innocent people, the Defence Headquarters had redeployed the Commandant of the Armed Forces and Staff College, Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi Kure and the Corps Commander, Infantry Jaji, Major General, Muhammad D. Isa (one of them took over just few weeks ago).
While reiterating our condemnation of the blasts and emphasising the need for the immediate thorough investigations into the matter, we want to state that the immediate removal of the two officers does not speak well of the military who are hitherto known to be careful and objective in dealing with sensitive issues of national interest.
We cannot comprehend why the use of two different approaches to addressing the same issue. Nigerians may not understand why would the two Jaji officers be removed in connection to the blasts even before any proper investigation, while no immediate posting out could follow the bombings at the 1 Mechanised Division and the Police Headquarters which preceded it.
The fact that the two officers who were swiftly removed were Muslims, and were replaced by two officers who are non-Muslims makes any discerning observer to be suspicious of the motives behind the whole exercise. It is our sincere concern to which we make bold to state, that any attempt at politicising the issue of security in Nigeria will not only worsen our security situation but will also continue to polarise the military family and the entire security system along religious and ethnic divides, something that would not augur well for the future of our dear nation.
While we are not against Military posting, rush decision of serious issue of this magnitude even before the Committee charged with the investigation of the incidents did not submit it’s report leaves much to be desired.
Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu
Secretary General
