DHQ debunks claim terrorists’ capture military armoured tank
By Babajide Adekunle
Nigeria’s military defence headquarters has debunked the claim that terrorists had hijacked two armoured personnel carriers, as seen in a video circulating the social media.
Maj-Gen Edward Buba, the director of defence media operations, in a statement, said the video was fake.
Buba said, “ On August 29, troops of OP HADARIN DAJI deployed at FOB Zurmi in Zurmi LGA of Zamfara State, embarked on fighting patrol to dislodge terror gathering at Kwashabawa Village. Troops engaged the terrorists en route to the location.
“During the fight, while attempting to outflank the terrorist. Quantity 2 of troops MRAPs got bogged down due to the swampy terrain occasioned by the rain. While troops tried to extricate the MRAPs, the terrorists massed up, knowing the challenge troops had encountered with the MRAPs.
“Subsequently, troops dismounted and demobilised the MRAPs when efforts to backload them were futile. The sad demobilization of the MRAPs by troops was to prevent it from being useful to the terrorists after abandonment. These situations further illustrate the effect of weather in changing conditions for ground operations.”
Buba also said the trending video of terrorists conducting mass burials for citizens never happened in the country.
He said, “In a related development, the attention of DHQ has been drawn to a trending video propagated from the terrorist camp. The video depicted the killing of several civilians in a mass grave. It must be noted that the incident never took place in Nigeria. Rather, it sadly took place in a nearby African country faced with terrorism. “
He also dismissed terrorists’ claims that they had kidnapped scores of citizens in Sokoto as a propaganda.
“The terrorist, in an act of desperation, tried to manipulate the situation to mislead gullible members of the public.” The statement said it was false the claim that 150 persons were abducted in Gobir (Sokoto State).”
