Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said on Thursday that the latest allegation of genocide in Borno State, levelled against the Nigerian Military by a Kaduna based cleric is unfounded, diversionary and unfortunate.
The Military ― which is fighting the deadly Boko Haram insurgents amidst criticisms that it is yet unable to rescue over 200 Chibok secondary school girls taken hostage since March ― said that genocide allegation was meant to tarnish its image.
“The DHQ wishes to unequivocally dissociate the Nigerian Military from any involvement in the alleged genocide as depicted in the graphic pictures which appeared in the front page of Blueprint newspapers of 22nd May 2014 edition entitled, “Alleged Killing field in Borno,” a statement signed by Major General Chris Olukolade read.
Olukolade further stated that while the military will continue to respect freedom of expression of Nigerians, it will not submit to desperate blackmail and propaganda aimed at diverting attention and pitching public opinion against the armed forces.
“Although the real motive of the report and presentation with the apparent intention to impute military complicity in the event depicted in the pictures is yet to unfold, the DHQ sees this allegation as the manifestation of yet another grand design to tarnish and denigrate the image of Nigerian Armed Forces,” Olukolade said.
According to General Olukolade, the Nigerian military remains a professional force whose operations is guided by high standard of professional ethics and will not be party to such dastardly act. At no time or event in the course of the counter-insurgency operation has the troops embarked on the extra-judicial killing of civilians as exhibited in the gory pictures.
He noted that the location and occasion where the events in the pictures is unknown and has no bearing whatsoever as insinuated in the report by the Blueprint newspaper.
“The individual holding stick which the paper mischievously described as “a soldier stand(ing) guard…” is certainly not a Nigerian soldier neither is any of those captured in the pictures,” Olukolade noted.
“The media are once again advised not to make themselves available to those who are desperate to tarnish the good name of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
