The Nigerian Army announces an investigation into candidates from its 86 Regular Recruits Intake who assert Lagos as their state of origin.
Hailing from Kaduna State, the candidates asserted false origins in Lagos, presenting indigeneship certificates from the South-West state.
However, upon their inability to substantiate these claims, they were apprehended. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army spokesman, characterized the incident as a “serious breach” following the arrests.
“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,” he said in a Wednesday statement.
“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 NA.”
“The NA 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.”
According to him, the arrest of the candidates shows the Nigerian Army’s openness in its recruitment process.
“The NA wishes to state that the arrest of the fraudulent candidates was a result of the commitment of the NA to upholding a transparent and credible recruitment process in line with its core values of integrity and fairness,” the Army spokesman added.
“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 scrutinizing the candidates’ State of origin, to ascertain the genuineness of their indigeneship claims,” he maintained.