Seven LGAS In Borno Not In Control Of B’haram, Says Army

THE Nigerian Army yesterday denied a media report that said seven Local Government Areas (LGAS) in Borno State are currently under the control of Boko Haram terrorists, saying the report is false with no iota of truth in it.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, while reacting to the report, said one Buba Galadima, in an interview withthe Guardian on Thursday, claimed that, “seven Local Government Areas of Borno State were still under the control of Boko Haram terrorists.”

He said even though Galadima failed to furnish members of the public with the names of those Local Government Areas, he querried that how on earth would an almost defeated terrorist group who are currently on the run can be said to be in control of any local government?”

Nwachukwu said: “Boko Haram lacks the capability to hold any territory in the North East, hence its mindless attack on innocent and vulnerable civilians with suicide bombings, most of which were made unsuccessful by our vigilant troops. “Our troops are, therefore, not waiting only to repel Boko Haram terrorists attacks as erroneously painted in the article, but are rather tactically deployed to deny the adversary freedom of action and access to logistics.”

He further stated that the claim that troops fighting the insurgents are inaccessible is fallacious because “theatre and formation Commanders routinely conduct working visits to troops in their formations and units within the theatre of operation.”

The statement reads: “The attention of the Headquarters Theatre Command Operation, Lafiya Dole, has been drawn to a publication in Theguardian newspaper of September 21 2017 where one Buba Galadima in an interview claimed that ‘Seven Local Governments of Borno State were still under control of Boko Haram terrorists’; even though he failed to furnish members of the public with the names of those Local Government Areas.

“Obviously, this sweeping statement is not only an attempt to propagate falsehood, but a futile effort to misinform members of the public on the true security situation in the North East from a perspective of one who is evidently detached from the realities of the counter-terrorism cum counter insurgency operations in the north east.”