Following the circulated viral video of candidates caught attempting to shortchange indigenous candidates of Lagos State by claiming to belong to the state during 86 Regular Recruits Intake, the Nigerian Army has said that their arrest was a result of its commitment to upholding a transparent and credible recruitment process in line with its core values of integrity and fairness.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, said that the video served as a pointer to one of the processes to which the candidates were subjected, in order to ensure that only true indigenes of a particular state are recruited, using the slots of that state, and not non-indigenes.
In the viral video, some candidates who confessed that they were from Kaduna State claimed to be from Lagos State. They all had letters of identification which presented them as Lagos State indigenes.
The candidates include Kabir Mustapha who claimed Kosofe Local Government Area; Alkali Monday staying with his brother in Dodan Barracks, Lagos, who claimed Lagos island; Luka David who claimed Oshodi LG indigeneship; Zakariyau; Stephen Kogi and Ayawa Usman.
All of them admitted Kaduna as their state of origin while two of them, David and Zakariyau confessed to getting the letter of identification through one Lt. Col. Gambo.
The statement by the Army Public Relations Director further read: “The video in itself therefore clearly shows that the process is transparent, as the state representative, who is a prominent member of the recruitment team, has been part and parcel of the process and was given unhindered access to do her job by scrutinising the candidates’ state of origin, to ascertain the genuineness of their indigeneship claims.
“The duty of the state representative is to identify non-indigenes among candidates applying for recruitment, and this is applicable in other states of the federation.
“We wish to inform the general public that the fraudulent act perpetrated by the three candidates who attempted to secure vacancies designated for candidates with Lagos State indigeneship is a serious breach of our recruitment process and will not be condoned.
“We want to assure the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the extent of these fraudulent activities and to identify any individual(s) or unscrupulous syndicate(s) involved.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that only the most qualified and deserving candidates are selected to serve in the Nigerian Army.
The Nigerian Army will continue to work closely with relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for this misconduct are held accountable.
“The culprits involved will be handed over to the appropriate prosecuting agency. The NA is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served in this matter.
“Consequently, we urge all prospective candidates to adhere to the principles of honesty and integrity throughout the recruitment process, as any attempt to manipulate the recruitment process will be met with the full force of the law.
“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its mission to recruit the best and most deserving individuals to serve our nation. We appreciate the support and cooperation of the public, as we work to maintain the integrity of our recruitment process.”
