By Olayemi Esan
The female officer who was seen in a video clip on the social media, dehumanizing a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Calabar, Cross River State has been sanctioned on the interim by the Nigerian Army.
The officer will also be made to undergo trial in line with the extant provisions of the Armed Forces Act.
Army Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu made this disclosure in a press statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said upon receiving report on the incident, the Brigade Commander immediately instituted an investigation and the officer involved has been identified and sanctioned.
"This act is not only condemnable, but unprofessional and against established precepts of discipline in the Nigerian Army," he said.
He pointed that the Nigerian Army has remained the pride of the nation and a symbol of national unity that has consistently being in the vanguard of respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.
"It is against this premise that the Nigerian Army condemns this unimaginable level of infraction by a personnel in its ranks.
"The Nigerian Army therefore, condemns in strong terms, this act of gross misconduct", he said.
The Army Spokesperson added that the officer's conduct has caused the Nigerian Army monumental embarrassment and is highly regrettable.
"This unfortunate act of indiscipline does not in anyway represent the Nigerian Army and will not be condoned in its entirety.
"For the records, the ugly incident happened in 13 Brigade, Calabar.
Nwachukwu said, the submission that the Brigade attempted covering up was therefore misleading.
He said the Nigerian Army remains a professional force that has zero tolerance for indiscipline among its personnel.
The Army therefore assured the general public that such infractions would not be tolerated from its personnel.
Gen. Nwachukwu also reassured that the rights of the citizenry is sacrosanct and will be respected by all personnel of the Army.
He pledged that any form of infraction will be severely dealt with.
The Army also enjoined Nigerians to continue to report such infractions to its Human Rights Desks in all formations of the of the Force towards dealing decisively with such erring personnel.
The Army thereafter tendered unreserved apology to the victim, her family members, friends, the NYSC and to Nigerians in general for the unwholesome treatment meted out to the Corps member.
