The Nigerian Army has refuted claims of arresting one of its personnel, Lance Corporal Musa Adamu, for converting from Islam to Christianity. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, clarified that Adamu, who serves at the Amphibious Training School and was attached to 63 Brigade, was not detained due to his religious conversion. Instead, he was found preaching in uniform on a social media platform, a violation of the extant Social Media policy for the Armed Forces of Nigeria, leading to his invitation for interrogation.
The Army explained that rather than presenting himself for the investigation, Adamu absconded for approximately six and a half months, which resulted in the declaration of him being on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL). The declaration of AWOL is in accordance with Section 58 (a) (b) on Obstruction of Provost Officers and Section 59 (a) (b) on Absence Without Leave. As per the Army’s regulations, once a personnel is absent from their unit for seven days without any justification, they are declared on AWOL, leading to the freezing of their salary account until they return to their unit and face appropriate sanctions.
The Army stressed that the soldier was taken into custody for investigation in accordance with the statutory provisions enshrined in the Armed Forces Act CAP 20. The statement emphasized that the Army is guided by ethics, traditions, and military laws, which dictate the conduct of its personnel. Violation of these principles and statutory stipulations would result in sanctions, irrespective of the offender’s faith.
The Army’s denial comes in response to rumors and speculation regarding the alleged arrest of Lance Corporal Musa Adamu for converting to Christianity. The statement seeks to clarify the real reason for his detainment and to dispel any misinformation surrounding the case.
As the investigation progresses, the Nigerian Army reaffirms its commitment to uphold its principles and maintain discipline within its ranks, ensuring adherence to the Armed Forces Act and social media policies. The Army also urges the public to refrain from spreading unverified information and to rely on official statements for accurate updates on ongoing cases.
