The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said allegations by Amnesty
International that military top brass were warned of Boko Haram’s
attack
on Baga and Monguno but failed to take action, were misleading, unfair
and distractive.
This was contained in a statement issued by Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information in Abuja on Wednesday.
Amnesty
International on Wednesday claimed that Nigeria’s military top brass
were warned of brutal Boko Haram attacks on the northeast towns of Baga
and Monguno but failed to take action.
The statement said the
conclusions by Amnesty International were misleading and could have been
avoided if it had made meaningful efforts to verify the inciting
allegations.
“Whatever be the intention, the allegations, at best
can only constitute a distractive and misleading commentary or
interpretation of the terrorists’ activities,” it said.
The
statement added that it was a misleading commentary to the efforts to
curb the Boko Haram insurgency and the actual situation on the ground in
Nigeria.
The statement said that the effort of Amnesty
International to use activities of terrorists to find fault with the
counter terrorism operations, as usual, was inaccurate and unfair.
The
statement added that in actual fact, the protection of civilian
population was the essence of the entire counter terrorism operation.
It said that the troops were prepared and duly engaged the terrorists in all the instances referred to by Amnesty International.
“Nigerian troops are conversant with the need to maintain the highest form of alertness always.
“Every
available information is factored into the intelligence that drives
every engagement or encounter in any part of the mission area.”
The
statement said this standard had not only been sustained but
incrementally enhanced in terms of capacity, troop’s deployment,
coordination, mobility, protection and logistics.
It said that
regular patrols, surveillance, pursuit and actual combat engagement to
curtail or forestall terrorists’ activities and threats were also
conducted.
“This has substantially succeeded in preventing,
frustrating or minimising the effect of terrorists’ dastardly intentions
and actions.
“This also accounts for why the main intention of terrorists attack on Maiduguri and other places could not succeed.
The
statement added that the Nigerian security forces remained willing and
capable of discharging the responsibility of defending the country’s
territory and people.
It added that every intrigue aimed at undermining the nation’s capacity to handle its security challenges would surely fail.
Source: PM News
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