Contrary to recent claims and circulating flyers on social media, the Nigerian Army has denied declaring Jackson Ude, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, wanted. Investigations have revealed that the flyers are false and did not originate from the Army.
A highly reliable source within the Army confirmed the falsity of the claims, stating, “Fake. Not from Army.” This development follows Ude’s recent social media post alleging the demise of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, which the Nigerian Army promptly debunked through its Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu.
The Army reaffirmed that Lagbaja is alive and well, dismissing Ude’s claims as untrue. Despite this clarification, flyers continued to circulate online, suggesting the Army had declared Ude wanted. However, a top Army source clarified that there was no truth to this.
The Army emphasized its commitment to upholding the rule of law while condemning Ude’s spread of unverified news, which can cause unrest and undermine national security. The Army’s stance underscores the importance of verifying information through official channels.
Ude has faced similar false allegations in the past. Last month, his name was incorrectly included in a list of alleged terrorist sponsors, which was later debunked as fake. A source close to Ude noted that this is not the first time faceless groups have made spurious allegations against him.
Efforts to reach Ude were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the Army’s denial provides clarity on the matter, confirming that Ude is not currently wanted by the Nigerian Army.