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The General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Major -General Hassan Taiwo Dada has solicited the cooperation of the Corporate Online Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in objective reportage of its operations aimed at ridding the South East of criminal elements parading themselves as secessionists under the guise of Biafra agitation, saying the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable and must be protected at all cost.
This is even as he has commended the media for their invaluable roles in national development, especially in promoting the activities of the Nigerian Army, urging practitioners to shun hate speech in discharging their duties.
The GOC who spoke weekend, when he received members of the Corporate Online Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists ( NUJ) who paid him courtesy visit in his office in Enugu observed that hate speech brings disunity among the citizenry.
Major- General Dada appreciated the Chapel for commiserating with the Army over the recent killing of Soldiers by suspected ESN members in Aba, Abia state.
He disclosed that out of the five Army personnel killed, three were from the South East.
According to him, the insecurity in the South East “has nothing to do with agitation or Biafra.
“What we are having is criminality. Some commanders of agitation groups collect money from people and perpetuate the act. It is criminality. Nobody is fighting for anybody . An average Igbo man wants to wake up and go to his shop , come back and rest.”, Dada said
He charged journalists to write against the criminality, saying, ” please , we look up to you to assist the Government , whatever the agitation of Biafra is not in anybody’ s interest. All the criminals that escape in Owerri jail brake are now commanders of ESN, collecting money from people, raping women, kidnapping people and harvesting organs,”he said .
Major- General Dada assured of Army’s commitment to protection of lives and properties.
On the auto crash that occurred on Tuesday evening in which some lives were lost and injuries sustained, at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu- Onitsha express road, the G.O.C ,commiserated with the families of the diseased but dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the accident was as a result.
The General Officer Commanding 82 Division , assured members of the Corporate Online Chapel of partnership
He said the business of security cannot be achieved by one person or one organisation.
“It should be a combination of everybody .There cannot be any development without collaboration,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Corporate Online Chapel, Comrade Clinton Umeh, on behalf of the chapel members, commiserated with the GOC over the senseless killing of five soldiers in Abia, Abia state.
He said the action does not represent what Ndi Igbo stand for.
He told the GOC that the Corporate Online Chapel was recently inaugurated as part of measures to promote the highest standard of journalism, particularly in the digital space and comprises members from various online media Organisations.
According to him, the Nigeria Army’s collaboration with the Corporate Online Chapel is crucial for ensuring accurate and responsible journalism concerning military operations and national security.