The Defence Headquarters has dismissed claims circulating on social media that bandits in Zamfara State hijacked two armoured vehicles from Nigerian troops.
According to The PUNCH, the DHQ also refuted reports alleging that a large number of civilians were killed and buried in mass graves by terrorists, as well as claims that over 150 people were kidnapped by terrorists in Sokoto State.
These denials follow the release of several videos over the weekend. The first video showed bandits claiming to have seized two armoured vehicles from Nigerian troops.
Another video purported to show terrorists conducting a mass burial of civilians, while a third claimed that over 150 residents were abducted in Sokoto State.
In a statement issued on Monday, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, categorically labelled the videos as fake.
Addressing the situation in Zamfara, Maj. Gen. Buba explained that two armoured vehicles became immobilised in a swampy area while troops were manoeuvring to outflank terrorists gathered at Kwashabawa Village.
“On August 29, troops of OP HADARIN DAJI deployed at FOB Zurmi in Zurmi LGA of Zamfara State embarked on a fighting patrol to dislodge a terror gathering at Kwashabawa Village,” Buba said.
“During the fight, while attempting to outflank the terrorists, two of the troops’ Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles got bogged down due to the swampy terrain caused by rain.”
He added that when efforts to retrieve the vehicles proved unsuccessful, troops demobilised them to prevent their use by terrorists.
“The demobilisation of the MRAPs by troops was to prevent them from being useful to the terrorists after abandonment,” he noted.
Regarding the video showing a mass burial, Maj. Gen. Buba clarified that the footage was not from Nigeria but rather from a neighbouring African country also facing terrorist threats.
“The incident depicted in the video never took place in Nigeria,” he said. “It sadly occurred in a nearby African country dealing with terrorism.”
Maj. Gen. Buba also dismissed the reports of 150 people being abducted in Sokoto State as terrorist propaganda aimed at undermining the successes of Nigerian troops.
“In an act of desperation, terrorists tried to manipulate the situation to mislead gullible members of the public,” he stated.
“The rumoured abduction was deliberately planted by the terrorists to undermine troops’ efforts and cover up their weaknesses.”
He urged the public to remain cautious of misinformation and propaganda tactics used by terrorists, which are common in wartime.
“On the whole, the public is urged to be circumspect of the antics of terrorists to propagate misinformation, disinformation, and fake news as part of their war propaganda effort,” Buba concluded.
“These situations are not uncommon in war. The dynamic and ever-changing environment of war creates some of these experiences. Nevertheless, troops retain operational flexibility to make adjustments in achieving the strategic objective of winning the war.”
