Badeh further said the military, as a professional group, had no other option than to love Nigeria and do the things that would ensure security and protection of lives in the nation.

The CDS, who stated this when he received in audience, the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri, in his office for the formal presentation of the Nigerian Centenary Flag to the Nigerian military, expressed surprise at the rumours of a coup d'etat, adding that democracy has come to stay in the country and stressed that the military had no intention of truncating it.

Badeh further said: "Why should anyone be thinking in negative fashion? Tell them we will not do it. Those rumouring coups must be living elsewhere and not in Nigeria. The armed forces are defenders of democracy. We are an arm of democracy, so how can an arm of democracy work against the democracy that we are part of?"

The defence chief, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), commended the NOA for "living up to expectation" in its activities as typified by the centenary flag produced by the agency, which he described as unique and of high standard, as well as the coordination of the National Information Centre (NIC).

He expressed support for the agency's programmes and policies, including the renaming of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade of the agency to Community Support Brigade (CSB) and the Word Waste Bin initiative and urged the NOA boss to up the ante in mobilising Nigerians.

Earlier, Omeri had disclosed the agency's plan to launch a security awareness campaign tagged 'Do the Right Thing: Know Your Neighbour,' soon adding that the campaign was, among other things, to complement efforts of the armed forces and also ensure return to that age old and celebrated value of being our brother's keepers.

Presenting the nation's centenary flag to the defence chief, Omeri said the flag was symbolic of the nation's history and heritage which it seeks to pass on to future generations of Nigerians.

He expressed the gratitude of the NOA for the support and commitment of the Defence Headquarters towards the NIC, noting that such was a clear statement of the armed forces' dedication to the speedy resolution of the security issues confronting the nation at the moment.

Omeri called for a day to be set aside by Nigerians to celebrate the Nigerian armed forces for their courage, professionalism and patriotism, saying Nigerians owed the military a debt of gratitude for its selfless sacrifice for the nation.