By Okodili Ndidi and Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has accused a former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode of plotting to create rivalry among security agencies.

It said Fani-Kayode’s “wild and unsubstantiated” allegations against the Armed Forces following last week’s  Kuje Prison invasion and a spate of terror attacks were intended to mislead the public.

Also, a pro-democracy group the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) cautioned Fani-Kayode against “unguarded” utterances that could escalate the security challenges in the country.

But the former minister dismissed the accusation by the DHQ, saying he stood by his statements.

In a statement in Abuja by its Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, the DHQ said: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to a video produced by Mr Femi Fani-Kayode wherein he made wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the Armed Forces regarding the recent spate of terrorist attacks, particularly the attack on the prison in Kuje, Abuja, on July 5, 2022.

“Ordinarily, the video and its maker would have been ignored, considering the antecedents of the person behind it as a known rabble-rouser. However, in the interest of members of the public who might be misled by the deliberate falsehood and the sensibilities of service personnel and their families who have been paying dearly to keep Nigerians safe, it has become urgent to respond to the video currently circulating in the social media.

“Among other allegations, Mr Fani-Kayode claimed that the Department of State Services (DSS) informed the military about the impending attack on Kuje Custodial Centre and even the previous attack on the Kaduna-Abuja rail service. He also claimed that soldiers were withdrawn shortly before the prison attack. In all these allegations, Mr Fani-Kayode is merely playing to the gallery.

“He is not in any position to know whether the DSS notified the military of any attack or not. It may not be impossible that such a claim is part of a calculated attempt to cause division and rivalry amongst all government agencies that have been working collaboratively in addressing issues of insecurity in the country.

“The claim that soldiers were withdrawn from the Kuje Correctional Custodial Centre before the attack is laughable. It is said that Mr Fani-Kayode is ignorant of whose responsibility it is to guard the prison.

“Mr. Fani-Kayode further claimed that the military took no action on the recent Shiroro terrorists’ attack, which resulted in the unfortunate death of some soldiers, some policemen and members of the public. This is also an attempt to smear the military and create bad blood between service personnel and the military high command.

“A despicable statement that dishonours the sacrifices of the gallant officers and soldiers that paid the supreme price whilst responding in defence of the civilians and the mining community (it is). What a shame! Mr Fani-Kayode is encouraged to pay more attention to the weekly briefs by Defence Media Operations.

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“It is pertinent to state that the Nigerian Armed Forces have toiled to sustain and nurture our democracy, hence the same military cannot contemplate a coup d’etat, as alluded to by Mr Fani-Kayode in his video.

“Finally, in a miserable attempt to malign the leadership of the military, Mr Fani-Kayode gave the impression that while junior military commanders and non-commissioned officers are working hard, senior commanders are doing nothing.

“This is sheer ignorance, and nothing more. Mr Fani-Kayode is completely oblivious of the fact that in the military, orders, instructions and directives are issued from the hierarchy to the lower rungs of command.

“This is indeed a difficult time for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole. It is not a time for attention-seeking individuals to cause needless distractions.”

I can’t be cowed, says ex-minister

But the erstwhile minister said in a statement said he would not be intimidated by the military high command from saying the truth.

He added that the military cannot impose a culture of silence on Nigerians when it was evident that its leadership has not frontally addressed insecurity in the country.

Fani-Kayode said: “I read the response from the Defence Headquarters   (dated July 9, 2022) to my video about the insecurity in the country and the attack on Kuje prison and I was utterly amused.

“Given the gravity and seriousness of the deteriorating security situation in our country, I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read through it.

“I would advise strongly that the military high command and Defence Headquarters spend their time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence.”

He  said if the military commanders knew his antecedents as they claimed, they would appreciate the fact that attempting to threaten or intimidate him into not pointing out and exposing their abysmal failures cannot work.”

‘Are we supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military’s field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong?

“Call it ‘rabble rousing’ if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better.

“Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me,” he said.