According to Olukolade, what the media reported as second 'mutiny' was just a presentation of complaints by representatives of personnel families who wanted the ban on motorcycles as a means of public transportation in the barracks reversed.
In a press statement released on Friday, May 23, General Olukolade described the ban as part of security measures put in place for the safety of the soldiers and their families and that the Acting General Officer Commanding obliged their request and directed a suspension of the ban pending when the planned alternative transportation arrangement is put in place.
He said that soldiers were not involved and no single shot was fired by them throughout the period, adding that the commanding officer was neither insulted nor manhandled.
There were reports yesterday that there was a second mutiny in Maimalari barracks, Maiduguri on Thursday, May 22 as soldiers rough-handled the new General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army, demanding that he pay their allowances and reinstate motorbikes to transport them and members of their families within the barracks.
Gen. Olukolade said the report was concocted by the media to raise false alarm and create the impression of disquiet in the military.
"It is very obvious that a section of the media is feasting on the current security challenges and is desperate to sustain the tempo of the crisis through sensational reportage. Mutiny is a very grievous breach that attracts severe sanctions in the military and should not be trivialized by those who do not understand its ramifications," the statement said.
The general however called on the public to not believe the rumour while also calling warning the media to beware of lifting stories on the military from online media which according to him has become the main channel of disseminating falsehood on happenings in the system.
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