Headquarters 82 Division of the Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading a resurfaced video circulating on social media, which alleges that 14 Brigade is issuing residential permits exclusively to individuals of a specific ethnic group.
In a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, the Division described the claim as deceptive and a calculated attempt to sow disaffection. The video, which originally surfaced in 2021, features a permit belonging to Mr. Ibrahim Saleh, who was intercepted by local vigilantes in Isiukwuato Local Government Area, Abia State. The incident was fully investigated and resolved at the time.
According to the Army, the permit was issued to Saleh under the Barracks Investment Initiative Programme (BIIP), a livestock empowerment scheme designed to equip Army personnel and their families with skills for agro-based businesses, including cattle rearing. Permits were granted to a limited number of vetted Fulani herdsmen engaged in the programme and were retrieved upon expiration or termination of employment.
The Army emphasized that suggestions of ethnic favoritism or selective permit issuance by 14 Brigade or any of its formations are baseless and without merit. “Headquarters 82 Division unequivocally dissociates itself from any form of ethnic bias or preferential treatment,” the statement read, adding that the renewed circulation of outdated content is a deliberate attempt to undermine the Army’s credibility and provoke public anxiety.
The Division urged members of the public to remain vigilant against misinformation, especially in an era of artificial intelligence and manipulated content, and to rely on verified information from credible sources. It also called on citizens and stakeholders, particularly in the South-East, to continue promoting peace, unity, and mutual trust for national security and development.
