The leadership of Igbo in Cross River State has thanked the Nigerian Army for its quick action following a viral video clip in which a female officer was seen dehumanising a member of the National Youth Service Corps in Calabar, Cross River State.

In the offensive video,  a commissioned female Army officer, Lt. Chika Viola Anele, is seen pouring dirty watery substance on a kneeling youth corps member, Ifeyinwa Fidelia Ezeiruaku, who is observing her primary assignment at the 13 Brigade headquarters in Calabar.

The youth corps member was said to have been given the dehumanising treatment after an argument with the lieutenant.

In a press statement signed by the President of Ohanaeze Nd’Igbo Cross River State and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State on Non Indigene Affairs (Igbo), Ugoji Nwabueze, the group said it was unprofessional that such act was committed in uniform.

“Our locus for this press statement is on the basis that both the suspected offender, Lt Chika Viola Anele; and the offended corps member, Ifeyinwa Fidelia Ezeiruka, are our daughters serving the nation and are within the jurisdiction.

“Regrettably, the act has placed the integrity and public relations principles of the Nigerian Army before the court of public conscience.

“In a democratic nation, the bar of expectation for the protection of fundamental rights of citizen is sacrosanct and the demand even higher,” the pan Igbo body stated.

The group said no matter the height of provocation, Lt. Chika crossed the line of decorum and decency expected of an officer of that level.

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“Because she is our daughter is even the reason we must join the Nigerian Army in its condemnation of the act as unprofessional and against established precepts of discipline in the Army. We refuse to be associated with bad manner.

“We commend the quick intervention of the Brigade Commander who, upon his attention drawn, immediately instituted an investigation that led to the identification and possible arrest of the suspect.

“We are told that she will undergo regimental orders (trial) in line with the extant provisions of the Armed Forces Act.

“We urge the Nigerian Army to use serious infractions like this to convince Nigerians of its determination to bring discipline into its rank and file,” it said.

The group further stated that the commendable attitude of the Brigade Commander had further reinforced the recent public statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff that, henceforth, military personnel would bear the consequences of their infractions against members of the public.

“We’re further pleased with the civility shown by the Nigerian Army in tendering unreserved apology to the victim, her family members, friends, National Youth Service Corps and to Nigerians in general for the unwholesome treatment meted to the corps member.

“The message is clear that better days of military and civilian mutual relationship have finally come.

“We plead with the military in the process of adjudication to be open, transparent, fair, and ensure that it does not throw the baby away with the bath water,” the group added.