The Abia State Government has confirmed the arrest of Staff Sergeant Amoke Simon, a Nigerian Army personnel who was recently promised medical support by Governor Alex Otti.
According to the state government, information obtained from military authorities indicates that the soldier was arrested over a fraud he allegedly “perpetrated some time ago.”
The position of the government was disclosed by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity.
He explained that the government verified that the soldier had previously served in Abia State and sustained an injury during his deployment, which led to his presentation to the state government by a non governmental organisation for medical assistance.
The statement noted that Governor Otti’s offer of support was made purely on compassionate grounds, similar to assistance extended to other citizens, including security personnel affected by various misfortunes in the line of duty.
“While it is outside the scope of the State Government to investigate cases of corruption, it’s also important to state that the government requested that due diligence be conducted on Sergeant Amoke, which may have also triggered the the action of the military which culminated in his arrest shortly after his visit,” Ekeoma said.
He added that the state government supports all lawful actions taken by the Nigerian Army in disciplining erring personnel.
The government further assured that it would continue to provide financial, medical and humanitarian assistance to individuals in need, despite the controversy surrounding the incident.
