The Nigerian army has responded to a viral video showing a soldier claiming that his teammates abandoned him during an operation.
According to Bendelnews, a video that has been circulating on social media since Wednesday depicts the pitiful predicament of a soldier who claims he was abandoned by comrades during an operation against criminal elements.
The army responded to the video by describing it as deceptive in a statement published by Brigadier General Onyema Neachukwu, Director Army Public Relations.
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According to the statement, a preliminary inquiry found that the officer used the video evidence to protect himself from being accused of cowardice for abandoning his colleagues during a clearance operation in Gurara, Niger State.
According to an army spokesman, the soldier abandoned his colleagues during a clearance operation in Niger State's Gurara Local Government Area and absconded in an obvious act of cowardice.
"The soldier's action amounts to a betrayal of the esprit de corps and comradery that are synonymous with a military unit and fighting formation, especially during operations," the statement reads in part. As a result, the soldier's actions are out of character and go against the military's principles and core beliefs.
"As a result, the video evidence is a complete distortion of what happened between the soldier and his colleagues
"The soldier has returned to his unit, and further investigations are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding his unprofessional behaviour."