"Buratai not behind Deji Adeyanju’s re-arrest" - Nigeria Army

The Nigerian Army (NA) has dismissed a statement credited to a former spokesperson of the APC, Timi Frank, where he reportedly alleged that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the chief of army staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, were responsible for Deji Adeyanju’s re-arrest by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

The army in a statement on Tuesday, December 4, described Frank’s statement as a smear campaign directed at the military and Buratai.

It said the allegations were either borne out of willful intent to cause trouble or of a malicious intent to malign the person of the chief of army staff.

The army noted that the police have the right and powers to take up such responsibilities of fighting cyber related offences and issues relating to inciting disturbances in the country.

It said: “Having noted the foregoing, it would suffice to add that the NA is not ignorant of all the recent false information concerning NA Operations been peddled by @adeyanjudeji on twitter as well as abusive and libelous outbursts of the same handle on the person of the COAS.

 “To this end, the Nigerian Army is already in consultation with its advocates for appropriate legal actions to be taken in accordance to the rule of law.

“Furthermore, the NA wishes to dissociate itself from the current self-induced predicament of Deji Adeyanju in the hands of the NPF, which is being sensationalized by his promoters. Such sponsors of Deji Adeyanju are advised to keep the NA and its leadership out of their self-seeking, cheap popularity on social media."

Legit.ng had reported that a former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, described as shameful, the re-arrest of a popular human rights activist, Prince Deji Adeyanju.

Frank, however, fingered the federal government and the army as major actors on whose order the police acted, plotting to silence Adeyanju for his involvement in Shi'a protest.

The politician condemned what he described as victimisation of the human rights crusader, even as he called on Nigerians, Civil Society Organisations and other human rights crusaders to speak up against the arrest.