The Nigerian Army has denied reports that Ibrahim Nazifi, a recruit from Gombe State, died during military training at the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.
The denial follows an earlier statement by the Gombe State Government claiming that the recruit died while undergoing training. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations at Depot NA Zaria, Captain Chikadibia Viola Anele, said the Depot had taken note of reports alleging that Nazifi, an indigene of Gombe State with application number 90RRI-GO-9017726, died during training.
She described the reports as false, stating that official records at Depot NA Zaria show that Nazifi successfully passed the 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 for the commencement of training.
“He never reported to the Depot for the commencement of his training, and at no point was he admitted into the training programme. Consequently, the Depot has no record of his presence, participation, injury or death during training,” the statement said.
The Army urged the Gombe State Government and other relevant authorities to establish the actual circumstances surrounding the reported death. According to the statement, any such incident did not occur within the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.
The statement further explained that military training is inherently demanding, as it is designed to build endurance, resilience and combat readiness, particularly in response to evolving security challenges. It stressed, however, that the rigours of training do not amount to negligence.
“While training environments can be demanding and, in rare cases, result in injuries or casualties, this does not imply negligence. Rather, comprehensive safety measures, medical coverage and risk-mitigation procedures are in place to protect trainees and minimise risks,” the Army said.
The Nigerian Army also cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information capable of misleading the public or damaging the institution’s image, urging Nigerians to disregard the reports.
It reaffirmed that Depot NA Zaria remains committed to professionalism, transparency and the welfare of all recruits undergoing training.
The clarification comes after the Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters to the Gombe State Government, Ambassador Yusuf Danbayo, announced on Thursday that Nazifi had died during training at the Depot, describing him as a promising recruit and extending condolences to his family and the people of Akko Local Government Area.
