Video of alleged capture and killing of soldiers by Boko Haram false, handiwork of IPOB -Army

The  Nigerian Army says the viral video portraying the purported killing of some soldiers on December 10 2019 by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents is false, describing it as , ‘unsubstantiated’ and stage managed.

In a statement, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa said the video was  apparently fabricated and circulated on the social media to cause panic among Nigerians and dampen the morale of gallant troops who have in recent times been rooting out remnants of the insurgents hibernating on the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to emphatically state that there was no incident that involved the ‘capture and killing of tens and tens of Nigerian soldiers on the 10th of December 2019” as mischievously and wickedly portrayed in the video.

“Similarly, preliminary observation of the video clip (even by the amateur) will reveal that the video was doctored and that the entire events captured in the footage was not an occurrence that took place at any point in time within the shores of Nigeria.” He said.

Col Musa called on the members of the general public and indeed personnel of the Nigerian Army especially those in the North East theatre of operation to disregard the sinister, very inciting and divisive video concocted and peddled by the outlawed IPOB members whose main objective is the disunity and fragmentation of Nigeria as clearly shown or espoused in the video.

“Accordingly, the call by one Simon Ekpa, (the principal actor in the clip), calling on soldiers of South East extraction presently serving in the North East to desert the Army and return to Biafra as well as calling on South Easterners not to join the Nigerian Army is an obvious indication of the essence and objective of the masterminds of this fake video which should be dicountenanced by the public.

“Meanwhile the leadership of the Nigerian Army wish to also reiterate its unflinching commitment to sustain the war against terrorism and shall not be deterred by the evil machinations or propagandist activities of mischievous persons whose main interest is the disunity of our beloved nation.” the statement added.