DHQ Denies Media Report of Soldiers’ Attack on Enugu Village
- The Nigerian military has debunked some media reports alleging that soldiers attacked a community in Enugu state
- The military stated that soldiers were not trained to carry out such barbaric acts and vowed to fish out those behind the brutal acts
- The military high command noted that soldiers could not turn around to kill citizens they are meant to protect
FCT, Abuja - The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied some media reports alleging an attack by soldiers on Ehamufu Isi-Uzo community in Enugu state.
The community’s dwellers had alleged that shooters in military uniform attacked their village on Monday, December 19, killing several villagers.
Source: Twitter
The DHQ, however, said soldiers were not trained to carry out such barbaric acts and vowed to fish out those behind the brutal act and bring them to justice.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, disclosed at a press briefing attended by a Legit.ng reporter on Thursday, December 22.
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He said it was no longer news that criminals had resorted to wearing military and other security agencies’ uniforms to carry out their heinous activities.
He stated that the military, whose sole responsibility is to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity and her citizens from external attack, cannot turn around and kill her citizens who they are meant to protect.
He said while responding to a question on the allegations:
“From the brief you got, you know so well what the armed forces and other security agencies are doing to keep the environment safe. And the same people, who are doing so much to keep the environment safe, cannot turn around and attack the people that they are supposed to protect.
“So that said, the story cannot be true that military men carried out an attack on Ehamufu Isi-Uzo village.
“The issue of our accoutrements and our uniforms being in the hands of criminals is what we deal with everyday, and we will not shy away from our responsibility to do our uttermost to remove articles of violence from the hands of those who are not authorised to carry them, the criminals.
“And you saw from the brief how many weapons have been seized or that were captured from bandits, and terrorists across the country, and the more we seize and capture weapons from criminals, the more we keep the environment safe.
“So, for those who may have attacked Ehamufu Isi-Uzo village, definitely the security men in the southeast are not sleeping; they will be fished out and dealt with.”
Military troops kill 103 Boko Haram members in northeast
In a related development, the Nigerian military has successfully killed 103 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa State Province (ISWAP) in northeastern Nigeria between December 1 and December 22.
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The Defence Director of Media Operation, Musa Danmadami, said Operation Hadin Kai successfully destroyed the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
The operation also successfully help rescued 30 abducted civilians while 280 terrorists and their families comprising 29 males, 73 females, and 148 children, surrendered to the military across the theatre of operation.
Recent report on Nigerian military aimed at undermining national security - Group
Meanwhile, the Northeast Advocacy for Peace and Justice has described a report by Reuters alleging forced abortion of unborn babies in facilities run by the Nigerian military as a conspiracy to derail peace efforts and the fight against insurgency.
Ambassador Abdullahi Gambo, the convener of the group, insisted that the report was a calculated, high wired and international attempt to thwart the successes recorded in the battle to finally eliminate Boko Haram/ and The Islamic State in West Africa Province in Nigeria.
The group also stated that sponsors and international groups funding the activities of terrorists are responsible for such damming reports.
Source: Legit.ng
