Army Probes Major’s Death, Denies Setting Up Court Martial

The Nigerian Army has said it is carrying out an investigation to ascertain what led to the death of a military officer, Major Jeremiah Udiadenye.

A report had claimed that the military officer committed suicide amid being investigated by a military court in 1 Division, Kaduna.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Wednesday, said Udiandeye was never court-martialed before his demise.

The statement read in part, “Having lost one of its finest officers, the Nigerian Army feels deeply concerned that unscrupulous persons under whatever guise would employ such sad occurrence to malign their own Army.

“Nevertheless, for the sake of posterity, it needs be mentioned that the late senior officer had an unblemished career in the military and never needed to face any disciplinary process.

“Until his demise, he was the Commanding Officer of 167 Special Forces Battalion at Giri in the FCT, from where he led special operations to various commands, including 1 Division.

“An appropriate board of inquiry has been instituted to ascertain what led to the tragic incident and its report will guide the NA on subsequent actions and measures to take to forestall a recurrence.”