The Defence Headquarters has debunked the abduction of 150 citizens in Sokoto including the mass killing and burial conducted by terrorists.
It also disputed accusations that bandits hijacked two armoured vehicles in Zamfara.
The denial comes after the video showing a mass massacre and burial carried out by terrorists surfaced over the weekend as reported by the military.
In the first video, the bandits claimed to have taken two armoured vehicles from the troops
In another video, terrorists conducted a mass burial for citizens, while the final video claimed that over 150 people had been kidnapped in Sokoto State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, stated on Monday that the videos were fake.
Explaining what transpired in Zamfara, he stated that the two armoured vehicles were stuck due to the muddy nature of the location as forces tried to drive away the terrorists who had gathered at Kwashabawa Village.
He further stated that the army had demobilised these vehicles to prevent terrorists from using them.
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.
Buba said, “The terrorist, in an act of desperation, tried to manipulate the situation to mislead gullible members of the public.
“The armed forces unequivocally state 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.”
Buba, therefore, urged the citizens to be mindful of the antics of the terrorists, adding that the terrorists resorting to propaganda is not uncommon in war.
He said, “On the whole, the public is urged 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.”