The Depot of the Nigerian Army in Zaria has dismissed media reports alleging that a recruit identified as Ibrahim Nazifi, an indigene of Gombe State, died during military training at the facility, describing the claims as false and misleading.
In a statement issued by the Depot’s Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Captain Chikadibia Viola Anele, the Army said its records do not show that Ibrahim Nazifi was ever admitted for training at Depot NA Zaria.
According to the statement, Nazifi, with application number 90RRI-GO-9017726, successfully passed the Gombe State recruitment screening exercise conducted in December 2025 and was subsequently shortlisted for training. However, the Army clarified that he never reported to the Depot to commence training and was therefore never enrolled in the programme.
“As a result, the Depot has no record of his presence, participation, injury or death during training,” the statement said.
The Depot urged the Gombe State Government and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine where, when and under what circumstances the individual reportedly died, stressing that no such incident occurred within the Zaria training facility.
While acknowledging that military training is rigorous and designed to build endurance, resilience and combat readiness, the Nigerian Army emphasised that comprehensive safety measures, medical coverage and risk-mitigation procedures are in place to safeguard recruits. It added that isolated incidents, where they occur, do not imply negligence.
The Army advised members of the public to disregard the reports and refrain from spreading unverified information capable of misleading the public and damaging the institution’s reputation.
The statement reaffirmed Depot NA Zaria’s commitment to professionalism, transparency and the welfare of all recruits undergoing training to serve the nation.
