Military Goes After Runaway Soldiers -Olukolade

The Nigerian military has started going after personnel who absconded
from the Armed Forces.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, who
described the act as a grave crime, said the Nigerian military would
arrest those who had absconded.

Olukolade stated this while speaking on issues involving the ongoing
counter terrorism atNigeria News Infomonitored by our correspondent.

He called on members of the public to ensure that deserters were
reported to the military authorities for prompt action.

According to him, any soldier found roaming about without being on
leave or having an authorised pass would most likely be a deserter and
should be reported to the appropriate authorities.

The military spokesman said, "There are deserters; there are deserters
definitely and the deserters are being arrested.

"And in any case, deserters are supposed to be reported to security
agencies and arrested; it is a crime to be a deserter; if you are a
deserter, that is the worst form of military service.

"And I think it is time the public knew some things that should not be
glorified about the soldier; if a soldier is a mutineer, if a soldier
is a deserter, when a soldier demonstrates cowardice, such a person is
not doing anything glorious. Such a person is a disgrace and is
actually operating in the realm of crime; and there is no heroism
whatsoever in it.

"Now the way people are presenting this attitude makes it look as if
they want to feel heroic; you desert your unit, you go about telling
lies of what is happening in the front so that you would look like a
gallant. Such a person should be reported and if possible arrested and
presented to the authorities. If it takes 20 years, a deserter is a
deserter, we will get him."

Olukolade, who spoke on the alleged attack on the former General
Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri,
Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Mohammed, said the soldiers involved in the incident
were facing trial.

He said that the military authorities would speak on it after the trial.

Olukolade said, "We have gone beyond investigation. Much as it would
continue to make a case against anyone found behaving unexpectedly in
that incident, a number of people, as a result of that, are definitely
facing trial at the moment; we will speak on it when the trial is over
and it is concluded."