Nigerian Army denies forceful eviction of retired officer

The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports on the eviction of a retired army officer from his residence in Enugu State.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, noted that the reports were aimed at tarnishing the force’s image.

He also described as outright falsehood reports on the brutalization of the officer’s wife, and children.

He stressed that House 7 on Abakaliki Lane, Enugu, was among Federal Government’s houses accommodating army officers in the state for over two decades.

According to him, the house was allocated to Col. E. L. Ugwoke as his official residence when he was posted to the state as the Deputy Commander 82 Division Intelligence Group in 2007.

The spokesman revealed that Ugwoke continued to occupy the house, even after he was posted out of the division.

Nwachukwu stated that the officer’s belonging was simply taken to his personal house to allow other officers round packed into the building.

The statement read: “The said property was not among 26 residential quarters officially handed over to the Enugu State Government in 2015.

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“That there are no documents to confirm that the said property was sold or paid for by anyone.

“It is worthy of note that officers of the army occupying institutionalised houses are expected to vacate such accommodation while on posting or retirement.

“However, the retired senior officer failed to comply knowing fully the rippling effects on accommodation status of others posted in, and serving officers.

“Emphatically, neither the wife nor children were brutalised and no property was damaged in the process of eviction.

“The retired senior officer’s belongings were simply transferred from the house in question to his personal house at number 127 Park Avenue, GRA Enugu to pave way for other serving officers to be accommodated.

“This was after serving the retired officer three previous official notices and several appeals for him to vacate the property after his retirement in 2021.

“The general public is advised to disregard this misleading publication as it is devoid of the actual facts of what transpired.

“The Nigerian army will not relent in catering for the wellbeing and welfare of its serving and retired personnel within the ambits of legitimacy.”

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