It seems that the Nigerian military believes that some its officers and men may be planning a coup. And as a result they’ve begun to monitor the phone calls and text message of all officers and men in order to uncover details about the alleged coup as well as to find out who may be involved.
I just read about this in a post on the Nigerian Communications Week website.
Speaking at an event to mark this year’s Nigerian Army Day celebration, Major-General Isidore Edet, cautioned officers and men on the need for them to watch their utterances and associations. He also added that they be even more vigilant while in the barracks and listen in on what people around them are saying because “…. when those people want to do these things they come into the barracks and try to incite the barracks community on things that are happening in the country, with words like: ‘’Don’t you think you should do something?’’ General Edet said.
Rumours about an alleged coup began a few weeks ago after the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) claimed that some top Army officers had met with them and asked them to continue bombing oil installations in order to give them a good reason to overthrow president Muhammadu Buhari in a coup.
After that allegation was made, the Nigerian Army quickly dismissed the allegations saying that they were completely false and that it would do everything within its power to bring to book those responsible for spreading such a vicious rumour.
So if the JNDLF’s allegations were just a rumour, why then is the Nigerian military monitoring the phone activities of its officers and men? Do they believe that some people among them are behind the rumour or do they know the JNDLF’s allegations to be true and are not looking to find those who may be involved?
Hmmnn…I don’t know which it is, but I can’t help but wonder where this development would lead.