Army Denies Suicide Reports, Launches Investigation Into Akwa Ibom Officer’s Death

The Nigerian Army has officially confirmed the death of one of its officers, Lieutenant Alphonsus Bazza, and categorically refuted assertions of his alleged suicide in Akwa Ibom State.

This information was communicated through a statement issued on Tuesday, November 14, signed by the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Danjuma Jonah.

In the released statement, it was stated, “The attention of Headquarters, 6 Division, Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication making the rounds in the media over the unfortunate demise of Lieutenant Alphonsus Alexander Kalthy Bazza.”

The statement continued, explaining that Lieutenant Bazza met his untimely end while on duty at the 2 Brigade Step-Up Headquarters for Exercise STILL WATERS III in Essien Udim Local Government, Akwa Ibom State.

Providing a timeline, the statement highlighted, “For the records, on November 11, the officer was not seen at the Step-up Headquarters, all efforts to reach him proved abortive. Hence, a search was launched in the general area, and his lifeless body was discovered.”

Expressing condolences, the Division conveyed sympathy to the family of the late officer and urged the media to refrain from circulating narratives insinuating complicity in his unfortunate demise.

Emphasising the professional ethos of the Nigerian Army, the statement asserted, “The Nigerian Army remained a professional organisation that placed a high premium on the welfare of its troops and would not take the demise of any of its personnel in any controversial circumstance for granted.”

The statement addressed misinformation propagated by certain media outlets, stating, “While not joining issues with the media houses propagating this misinformation, it is important to state that there are regimental precepts through which such occurrences are handled in the NA.”

Concluding the statement, it was assured that a thorough investigation into the matter was underway, and the public would be duly informed of the outcomes once the inquiry was complete.