Nigerian Army denies releasing 1,009 ex-Boko Haram fighters in its custody
- Report that over 1,000 former Boko Haram fighters were handed over to the Borno state government has been described as fake
- The Nigerian Army said the report based on misinformation was a strategy aimed at demoralising the troops
- The spokesperson for the army, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu debunked the story, saying that it is a distortion of the truth
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Abuja - The Nigerian Army has denied a trending media report that it has released over 1009 former Boko Haram fighters to the Borno state government.
The report making the rounds that the terrorists in the military's custody was described as false, aimed at denegrating the Nigerian army and demoralising the troops fighting the counter terrorism war.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng gathers that this clarification was made by the Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement on Thursday, July 15, and shared on Facebook.
According to Nwachukwu, the Nigerian army would not want to join issues with the masterminds of the fake news, adding that it was important to set the records straight.
He urged the public to discountenance the report as it is evidently a manipulation and distortion of the truth and reality of event.
Nigerian military releases over cleared suspects to northern governor
Earlier, not less than 1,009 cleared suspects who have been in the custody of the Nigerian military were released to the Borno state government on Wednesday, July 14.
The persons were handed over to the commissioner of women affairs and social development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, who represented the state government during a ceremony organised.
A military source said that the handing over ceremony was slated for an earlier date but was later postponed following the appointment of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant-General Faruk Yahaya.
Nigerian troops rescue 17 people kidnapped by Boko Haram
Meanwhile, Nigerian troops have rescued seventeen people from a kidnap attempt by Boko Haram terrorists during an attack along Kontori along Maiduguri – Damaturu road in Borno state.
The soldiers attached to Sector 1 Operation Hadin Kai deployed at the Forward Operational Base (FOB) rescued the victims after the suspects had attempted to infiltrate Auno village on Wednesday, July 7.
According to Nwachukwu, the insurgents in large numbers were intercepted by the troops who engaged them in a gun duel.
Source: Legit.ng
