The Nigerian Army has ordered an investigation into allegations that some of its personnel assaulted and robbed students at Osun State University, UNIOSUN, Osogbo, following public outcry over the incident.
The Army said the investigation was aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the incident and ensuring that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Depot Nigerian Army Public Relations Officer, Major Ibrahim, the Commandant of the Depot said the Nigerian Army remained committed to protecting all citizens and would not tolerate any act of harassment, intimidation or assault by its personnel.
“The Nigerian Army exists to protect all citizens, especially the youth, who are the future of the nation. Any conduct that falls short of that mandate is unacceptable.
“No student or law-abiding citizen should ever feel unsafe or be subjected to harassment, intimidation or assault by those entrusted with the security of lives and property,” the statement read.
According to the statement, the commandant has directed a full investigation into the allegations in line with military regulations and the values of the Nigerian Army.
“The commandant has ordered an investigation to ascertain the facts of the incident and bring perpetrators to justice,” the Army said.
It called on the Southwest Coordinator of NANS, Adeyemo Kayode, to provide all available evidence and witness statements to facilitate a comprehensive investigation.
“The NANS Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, is kindly requested to make available all evidence and witness statements to enable a thorough investigation into the incident,” the statement added.
The Army maintained that the alleged actions did not reflect the standards of discipline and character expected of personnel trained at the Depot.
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“The alleged actions of the personnel do not reflect the training and character development of recruits at the Depot. We therefore give our firm assurance that any personnel found guilty will face the full weight of military law,” the statement said.
The commandant also expressed readiness to meet with the leadership of NANS to discuss the matter and agree on the way forward.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that newly recruited personnel of the Nigerian Army on Monday assaulted some UNIOSUN students, triggering a protest that led to the barricading of the popular Obokun Road.
During the incidents, soldiers also allegedly seized and took away over 60 mobile phones and other electronic gadgets belonging to the students.
Also, during the invasion, which took place Monday evening, some female students were reportedly stripped naked and made to forcefully dance unclad by the rampaging soldiers, said to be part of the batch that had their passing-out parade last Saturday.
The perpetrators also allegedly raped a female student, but the allegation cannot be immediately verified as no victim of rape could be identified among the students as of the time of filing this report.
In other incidents, soldiers were also accused of beating up male students and other residents they found adorning clothes or caps in Army colours.
The students, accompanied by the Southwest Coordinator of the NANS Zone D, Josiah Adeyemo, carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Students are not safe,” “Our girls are not animals,” and “We demand justice,” among others.
The protesters marched from their hostels to the Shasha Market area before blocking the highway, disrupting vehicular movement in protest against the alleged assault by the soldiers.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Clement Adebooye, later joined the protest after addressing the affected students at their hostels.
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