South East Development Peace Initiative (SPDI) has called on the Nigerian Government to unravel those behind the rumoured death of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
Leader of the group, Hon Vitus Okechi, a former commissioner in Enugu State, said the intention of the rumour peddlers should be unearthed.
He said this in a press statement issued in Enugu on Monday, expressing shock that people would wish the Army chief dead at a time he was succeeding in wiping out terrorism across the country.
Okechi, a former Local Government Chairman, noted that even after an official statement by the army, “they are now asking for a video of the General.”
“There must be an ulterior motive in all these. And as a group, the South East Development Peace Initiative (SDPI) urges the Federal Government to investigate the source of this rumour.
“While we wish the Army Chief the best of his vacation, we urge the government to beef up his security and keep a close eye on him.
“The government should also investigate the source and reasons behind these speculations; they must not be waved aside,” he advised.
He said since Lagbaja took over as Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, there have been significant successes in the fight against terrorism in the North West and beyond.
“His appointment as Chief of Army Staff is turning out positively in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in some parts of the country, and some people appear not to be comfortable with it,” Okechi noted.
