In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, stated that analysis of the video clip revealed that the video was doctored, as NA vehicles including APCs had NA inscribed on the number plates, which was conspicuously missing on the reportedly captured APC in the video.

The Nigerian Army called on members of the public to be wary of misinformation and propaganda employed by the insurgents, aimed at precipitating fear and disrupting the peace and security of the country.

The Nigerian Army assured of its commitment to continue to protect the lives and property of the citizens and work hard to maintain peace and stability across the country.

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The statement reads in full:

“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a viral unsubstantiated and apparently fabricated video clip circulating on the social media, portraying stage-managed capture of Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) by Turji Bello, one of the infamous terrorists leaders in North West Nigeria.

“The NA wishes to emphatically state that there was no such incident that involved the capture of any of its APCs within the theatre of operations in the North West, as mischievously and falsely portrayed in the video.

Analysis of the video clip reveals that the video was doctored, as NA vehicles including APCs have NA inscribed on the number plates, which is conspicuously missing on the reportedly captured APC in the video.

“Additionally, on our record the entire events captured in the footage was not an occurrence that took place at any point in time within the shores of Nigeria, rather available data point to it, as an event that occurred in Burkina Faso some time in 2021. Further investigation showed that the same video was posted on Facebook on 9 November 2021 with URL web.facebook.com/watch/?v=15441….

“Furthermore the NA maintains a high level of vigilance and professionalism in safeguarding own armoured vehicles by ensuring that they are not compromised by any criminal element.

“The NA therefore urges the public to be wary of misinformation and propaganda employed by the insurgents, aimed at precipitating fear and disrupting the peace and security of our nation.

“The NA remains committed to protecting the lives and property of our citizens and will continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace and stability across the country.

“The NA will continue to provide updates on its operations and activities through official channels to ensure accurate  and reliable information reach the public.

“The NA appreciates the support and cooperation of the public, as we strive to ensure a secure and peaceful Nigeria for all.”

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The farmers were killed at about 11 a.m. as they harvested rice on their farms.

The incident is the latest in the unrelenting killing of farmers in the North-East by Boko Haram insurgents, who have been campaigning for a strict Islamic code since 2009.

The insurgency has taken hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents, although the federal governments has been fighting back to defeat the insurgents.

Speaking at the burial of the farmers, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, said that residents informed him that the death toll could be as high as 70 because some of the farmers were still missing.

Zulum advised that Nigeria and some of its neighbouring countries should forge closer cooperation to defeat the insurgency, which has wracked Nigeria for over a decade.

He pleaded with the federal government to recruit more indigenes of the state into the military and other security agencies to combat the insurgency.

Zulum said that his administration would recruit more hunters and Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies.

“We will restrategise and ensure total domination of the Zabarmari, Gonglong, Koshebe axis of the state.

“We will recruit more CJTF and hunters so that our people can take the fight to all nooks and crannies of this area.

“We appeal to the Nigerian Army and Air Force to strengthen their support with a view to defeating the insurgents.

“We have six million people in Borno State and we need to farm if we must survive,” Zulum said.

He observed that the insurgents who killed the farmers were from Wuda-Taya Game Reserve in the area.

The governor said that there was need to raid the area to save the farming community known for mass production of rice.

The out-going chairman of rice sellers in the area, Malam Hassan Zabarmari, called for more security presence to protect farmers.

“We are expecting bumper harvest but with this incident, we are afraid to go to our farm in Koshebe Village which has been vacated.

“The insurgents have even started burning our farms. We need help,” he pleaded.

Source: NAN

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Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, made the disclosure during the handing over of the repentant insurgents at the Bulunkutu Rehabilitation Center, Maiduguri.

Shafa disclosed the 151 male repentant insurgents comprised 132 adult and 19 minors, who completed 52 weeks of de-radicalisation process at its centre in Gombe.

He said that the clients were exposed to formal literacy classes, skills acquisition and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as well as drug and psycho-therapy during their training.

Shafa explained that the Operation Safe Corridor was designed to encourage Boko Haram insurgents to surrender, provide de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programme, to enable them rejoin the society.

“The clients confessed their past misdeeds; denounced membership of Boko Haram group, asked for forgiveness and took oath of allegiance to Nigeria. I believe they are now good citizens to rejoin the society,” he said.

Shafa lauded the state government over its support and efforts to assist the repentant insurgents to reintegrate into the society.

Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur commended the Federal Government over implementation of Operation Safe Corridor to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant insurgents into the society.

Kadafur said the state government had adopted effective measures to accept the insurgents willing to voluntarily surrender and to create an enabling environment for them to rejoin the society.

He said the state government had also directed community leaders to sensitize their people on the need to accept the rehabilitated insurgents, and warned against infringement on their rights.

The deputy governor added the state government would support rehabilitated insurgents to set up their business, to enable them to engage in productive activities and contribute to the development of the society.

Tela Dandija and Kyari Buguma, some of the repentant insurgents, thanked the Federal Government for the amnesty granted to them and called on the insurgents still in the bush to surrender.

They also called for support to enable them to set up their businesses in their respective communities.

Source:  NAN

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This attack was carried out on the terrorists’ camp at a settlement called Arboko in Borno State.

The air strike, according to NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, was carried out on Monday.

In a statement he issued in Abuja on Wednesday, he disclosed that the Alpha jet destroyed the insurgents’ camp as it provided close air support to troops of 82 Brigade, Nigerian Army.

“The operation was conducted on February 18, while a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet and an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform were providing close air support to troops of 82 Brigade, Nigerian Army.

“In the course of the operation, the ISR aircraft spotted a group of BHT fighters within Arboko Village and vectored the Alpha Jet to engage their camp with rocket fire, thereby degrading the terrorists’ structures and neutralising some of their fighters,” he said.

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