The Nigerian Army has provided an explanation for the arrest of social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, also referred to as “Justice Crack”.
The force revealed that his detention is related to an ongoing investigation concerning suspected incitement of soldiers and alleged violations of military social media regulations.
Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, released a statement on behalf of the Nigerian Army, claiming that online articles in which Chidiebere purportedly conveyed grievances from soldiers over welfare and nutrition circumstances caught its notice.
“The attention of the Nigerian Army was drawn to the complaint made by some soldiers regarding their feeding and other matters relating to their welfare as posted on social media by a blogger/social media influencer, Justice Mark Chidiebere (Justice Crack)”, she wrote.
“While the matter is being investigated for breach of the Armed Forces’ Social Media Policy and an attempt to misinform the public, preliminary report reveals that the soldiers discussed wide range of issues with Justice Chidiebere who seemed to be inciting soldiers to create discontent within the system.
“An example was a chat bothering on subversion which Chidiebere had with the soldiers. It is important to state that a situation where civilians cultivate vulnerable personnel towards acts of subversion has far-reaching implications on discipline and national security.
“Hence, Justice Chidiebere was picked by the Nigerian Army alongside the soldiers for investigation. While the soldiers remain in own custody, Chidiebere has been handed over to the relevant civil authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution,” the statement further read.
Colonel Appolonia Anele further affirmed that the Nigerian Army is still dedicated to upholding the rule of law and will keep collaborating with relevant organizations to guarantee that justice is done while preserving military discipline and national security.
According to information obtained by the Nigerian Newspaper, Justice Crack has purportedly been absent for four days.
