The Military high Command has reacted to the trending videos propagated from the terrorist camp. First on the destroyed MRAPs by terrorists and the video depicted the killing of several civilians in a mass grave.
Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba reacted to these telrending videos in a press statement signed ansnnade avaito newsmen on Monday.
General explained that on 29 Aug 24, at about 1700hrs, 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 terrorist enroute the location.
He further added that during the fight, while attempting to outflank the terrorist. Quantity 2 of troops MRAPs got bogged down due to the swampy terrain occassioned by the rainy. While, troops tried to extricate the MRAPs, the terrorist mass up knowing the challenge troops had encountered with the MRAPs.
Subsequently, he said troops dismounted and demobilized 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 terrorist after abandonment. These situations further illustrate the effect of weather in changing conditions for ground operations.
General Buba also disclosed that the video depicted the killing of several civilians in a mass grave incident never took place in Nigeria. Rather, it sadly took place in a nearby African country faced with terrorism.
He noted that the terrorist in an act of desperation, tried to manipulate the situation to mislead gullible members of the public. The armed forces unequivocally states that, at no time were 150 persons abducted in Gobir (Sokoto State). The rumoured abduction was deliberately planted by the terrorist to undermine troops winning efforts and cover up terrorist weakness.
The Military hereby urged Nigerians to be circumspect of the antics of the terrorist to propagate misinformation, disinformation and fake news as part of their war propaganda effort. 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.