By Musa Umar Bologi
Abuja
Nigerian Army has denied online report of a purported ambush of Nigerian troops’ convoy and killing of 30 soldiers by Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.
An online platform, Almardanews.com, had Friday claimed in its report that the terrorists group that launched the attack had link with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
However, the Headquarters Theater Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, which coordinate the battle against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east described the report as “false and another media propaganda and an attempt by Boko Haram terrorists to remain relevant and portray seeming potency.”
“There was no such attack or ambush on any convoy of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole by ISIS or any other adversary within or outside the theatre of operation,” spokesperson of the Theater Command, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement.
According to him, the Command had closely studied the graphic images used to support the article and found to “lack nexus to any recent operational engagements of Operation Lafiya Dole.”
He said: “The photographs culled from ‘only god knows where’ are not a reflection of recent operational encounters of Lafiya Dole. The concocted story is, therefore, unsubstantiated and lacks credibility.
“Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole did not at any time have an encounter with ISIS terrorists, neither have they suffered from such fictitious attack as claimed. This points to the desperation of the Boko Haram terrorists group to create awe and hold the people captive psychologically.
“Undoubtedly, the article and the graphic images are a bundle of unprofessionally packaged falsehood aimed at misinforming the general public by creating fear in the minds of people and building an aura of false potency around the terrorists. This can better be described as one of the last kicks of a drowning terrorists group.”
“Looking back at the activities of Operation Lafiya Dole in the just concluded week; own troops have continued to sustain devastating attacks on the Boko Haram terrorists in precursor operations in the north east.
“Aside neutralising their hideouts in the fringes of the Nigerian-Nigerien border through coordinated air and artillery bombardments, own troops recently killed 2 fleeing Boko Haram terrorists in an ambush at Futchinam village in Geidam local government area of Yobe state.”
Nwachukwu enjoined the public to disregard the online publication, as it was “mischievous and lacks the least iota of truth.”
