By Ayo Kehinde
Gen Bashir Magashi, rtd, middle, taking hand sanitiser on alighting from an aircraft during a recent official trip.
The Ministry of Defence has described as fake the online video of the Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) carrying AK47 rifle while entering a bullet proof jeep
According to Malam Mohammad Abdulkadri, Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence on Media and Publicity, the person in the video is not General Magashi but the Rector of the Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology (NACEST) Makurdi,” who by virtue of his Command position is statutorily allowed in the Military to sign for weapons when travelling.”
He said; In fact, the Army green colour on the Innonson Jeep and the Unit sticker of NACEST on the official vehicle are enough evidences to neutralise the spurious claim in the clip being referred to as the Official vehicle of the Minister of Defence who uses black Land cruiser jeep like his counterparts in other ministries.
“Again the Internet fraud star’s desperate attempt to demean the personality of the Defence Minister proved null and void and untenable with the fake picture of the Orderly that wears blue colour of the insignia band of NA Education Corp whereas the Orderly to General Magashi (Name withheld) is of the Corp of the Military Police who uses red beret and MP red hand band on his camouflage.
According to Abdulkadri, the video was undoubtedly put on the Internet to portray the Minister in bad light as feeling unsafe at a time when he is successfully implementing President Muhammadu Buhari vision to end all internal security challenges in the country.
