The Nigerian army has said the video clip being circulated in the internet about the summary killing allegedly perpetuated by its personnel during the Jos riot was a wicked manipulation.
The army said the scene was very disturbing and was directly at variance with the standards by which the army has been known over the years.
More than 300 people died during the crisis that erupted on Jan. 17 in the northern city of Jos in Plateau State, when some youths attacked worshippers at St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Nasawara Gwom.
The riot ultimately turned into a fight between Muslim and Christian gangs.
Chris Olukolade, the military spokesman, expressed the army’s concern in a statement reaching here late Saturday that the video clip was obviously aimed at embarrassing the Nigerian army, while at the same time heating up the polity.
The spokesman described the video clips as a wicked manipulation aided by application of current advancement in computer technology.
Olukolade said it has never been in the character of the Nigerian army throughout its experiences, either in peace support operations abroad or in internal security operations at home, to unleash such acts of brutality and illegality on citizens, let alone carry out summary and extra judicial execution as presented in the manipulated video film.
According to him, the Nigerian army record of operations in Jos rather confirms the Nigerian army’s exemplary character and belief in the rule of law.
Feb82010