The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed trending pictures and videos portraying that people allegedly killed by soldiers fighting arm bandits in Zamfara state were buried in mass graves in the state.
Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, a popular Islamic cleric had recently accused the Nigerian armed forces of killing innocent people rather than the bandits. The Islamic leader who had negotiated the release of many abductors in the past said, women and children are being killed by soldiers in the guise of neutralising the bandits in Zamfara and others states in the north where the bandits are in full operation.
The military rebuttal also came amidst the state governor, Bello Matawalle’s resolve not to dialogue with bandits who are kidnapping people in the state for ransom.
The Governor said the military should go ahead to crush the criminals, even as security agencies make gains in the battle against the bandits whose activities almost crippled the state. There is no second chance of amnesty, the governor said after the initial dialogue with the bandits to lay down their arms failed.
The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Benjamin Sawyerr, dismissed the videos and pictures with the caption, “Alhamdulillah, Zamfara Must Secure” trending in several social media posts purportedly emanating from the ongoing military operations in the North-West and North-Central parts of the country.
Sawyer said in a statement, in Abuja on Sunday, that it has become necessary to put the record straight in the face of false and malicious report which tend to portray the military in a bad light.
He said the report is capable of undermining the gains the Armed forces have made against the bandits recently, noting that the operations were being conducted in line with best practices and professionalism the armed forces are known for.
Sawyer said “these operations are conducted in strict compliance with the rules of armed conflicts, utmost professional manner, strict adherence to rules of engagement and respect for fundamental human rights and dignity.
“The viral pictures being circulated have nothing in common with the ongoing operations.
“This callous action of linking ongoing operations with falsehood is deliberate and thus seeks to tarnish the good image and reputation of the AFN,” he said.
The military spokesman stated that the military had been carrying out periodic media briefings where pictures of the operations were usually displayed to complement achievements in the ongoing operations.
He urge the public to disregard the gory pictures, assuring that the military would continue to perform its constitutional mandate of ensuring that the nation remained safe and peaceful for all law abiding citizens.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
