The Nigerian Army has issued a statement to debunk multiple reports that abducted female lieutenant, P.P Johnson, has been rescued.
Voiceofnaija.ng had earlier reported that Lieutenant P. P. Johnson, was abducted by unknown gunmen terrorizing the South-Eastern part of the country, on her way to her hometown, Ihube, for the Yuletide season.
“She was just conferred with the rank of Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army. She passed out on 17 December, after being commissioned from the Direct Short Service Course,” a military source said.
“She was kidnapped at her home in Ibube. She travelled home for the Yuletide celebration.”
In a viral video, the gunmen confirmed the abduction of the Lieutenant.
“This is unknown gunmen. What we are after is Biafra, we have nothing to do with IPOB. Say bye-bye to your fellow soldiers, say bye-bye to this life,” a voice of one of the assailants could be heard in the video.
The officer was stripped naked and her hands and legs were tied. She was seated on the ground in a bushy area.
However, in a latest statement issued via the official Twitter handle of the Nigerian Army on Friday, the military service stated that, “ABDUCTED FEMALE OFFICER NOT YET RESCUED, SEARCH EFFORT STILL ONGOING …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.
“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.
“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 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.”
