Yesterday, the military reaffirmed its full support for democracy and unalloyed subordination to civil authorities.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa and Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who spoke at different fora, dismissed calls for military intervention by a section of those who protested against the economic crisis early this month and some political interests.
To those calling on the military to truncate civil rule, Lt-Gen. Lagbaja said: “As Chief of Army Staff, my simple response to the call is ‘Thanks, but no thanks!’
“The Nigerian Army will not allow itself to be used to undemocratically sail some interests to power.”
He spoke in Uyo during the 2024 Chief of Army Staff combined second and third quarters conference.
Gen. Musa told Minister of Finance Mr. Wale Edun, who visited him, that the military would continue to defend the nation’s democracy.
The defence chief said the military had to a great extent been able to decimate the activities of terrorists, insurgents and other criminal elements.
According to him, the armed forces in collaboration with other security agencies were working tirelessly to ensure the safety of critical government assets and to ensure an increase in oil production to boost economic activities.