The Nigerian Army has described the abduction and assault of
P.P. Johnson, identified as a lieutenant in the army, as “dehumanising”.
Johnson was said to have been visiting her grandmother in
Imo state when she was abducted on December 26.
A video of a woman stripped naked had, thereafter, gone
viral on social media platforms, while a voice in the background asked her
questions about her identity.
The woman identified herself as “P.P. Johnson” from Abia
state.
“This is a wonderful
message for all of you still in the Nigerian military. That is how all of you
will be dying one after the other. Here, it’s happening live in Enugu, today,
being 26th of December, 2022,” the voice in the background added.
There were, however, claims on Friday that the officer had
been rescued and one person arrested over the abduction.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Friday, the
army condemned the kidnap, adding that the officer was yet to be rescued.
“The attention of the
Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to some publications circulating in the
social media insinuating the rescue of Lieutenant PP Johnson, a female officer
who was abducted on Monday 26 December 2022 while visiting her grandmother in
Aku-Okigwe in Imo state, shortly after completion of her Cadet training and
subsequent commissioning as a Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army,” the statement
issued by Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesperson, reads.
“A video footage of her abduction had emerged on the social
media where her abductors claimed her abduction was in line with their fight
for Biafra against the Nigerian State.
“It is instructive that the officer’s circumstance as a
woman and a Nigerian citizen of South Eastern extraction did not dissuade her
abductors from dehumanizing her in their mindless attempt to commit atrocities
under the guise of fighting for Biafra.
“This evidently is another pointer to the myriads of crimes
being unleashed by IPOB/ESN on Ndigbo, the very people they claim to be
fighting for their emancipation.
“It should therefore
be crystal clear to those who are still in doubt of the true status of these
groups, that IPOB/ESN are terrorists, masquerading as freedom fighters and do
not deserve the support of anyone, particularly the good people of South East
Nigeria.
“The NA wishes to state that the information making the
rounds is unsubstantiated as the officer is yet to be released or rescued from
her abductors. Likewise, the video footage being circulated and associated with
the rescue claim is an old video of the arrest of a suspect earlier effected by
troops.
“Much as we appreciate the concern and goodwill of the
general public for her safe rescue, we also wish to note that the information
on the rescue of the officer did not emanate from the NA.
“The Nigerian Army will leave no stone unturned in its
effort to rescue the officer and bring the perpetrators to book. We appeal to
the general public to provide credible and reliable information that could lead
to her safe rescue and arrest of the perpetrators.”
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