Nigerian Army has dismissed media reports alleging that a Gombe State indigene, Ibrahim Nazifi, died during military training at Depot Nigerian Army (NA), Zaria, describing the claim as false and misleading.
Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Depot NA Zaria, Captain Chikadibia Viola Anele, in a statement, said there was no record of any recruit bearing the name Ibrahim Nazifi dying during training, contrary to reports circulating in some sections of the media.
According to the Army, Ibrahim Nazifi, with application number 90RRI-GO-9017726, successfully passed the State Recruitment Screening Exercise conducted in December 2025 and was subsequently shortlisted for training at Depot NA Zaria.
However, the Depot clarified that Nazifi never reported to the facility for the commencement of training and was never admitted into the training programme.
“Available records at Depot NA Zaria clearly show that Ibrahim Nazifi successfully passed the State Recruitment Screening Exercise conducted in December 2025 and was subsequently shortlisted for training.
“However, he never reported to the Depot for commencement of his training and at no point was he admitted into the training programme,” the statement said.
The Army stressed that, as a result, the Depot has no record of his presence, participation, injury, or death at the training facility.
In light of the controversy, Depot NA Zaria called on the Gombe State Government and relevant authorities to investigate the matter and establish where, when and under what circumstances the purported deceased died, noting that no such incident occurred within the Depot.
The Nigerian Army, further, explained that while military training is physically demanding and intentionally structured to build endurance, resilience, and combat readiness, the institution maintains strict safety protocols.
“While training environments can be demanding and in rare cases result in casualties, this does not imply negligence. On the contrary, robust safety measures, medical coverage and risk-mitigation procedures are firmly in place to ensure maximum protection of trainees and to minimise injuries,” the statement added.
The Army urged members of the public to disregard unverified reports capable of misleading the public and damaging the image of the Nigerian Army.
Depot NA Zaria reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the welfare of recruits undergoing training in service to the nation.