The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed as propaganda the video clip being circulated on social media, as footage from the recent attack on troops in Marte, Borno State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, stated this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
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Mr Kangye, a major-general, said it had been confirmed that the video was not related to the Marte incident in any form, following a thorough analysis by relevant authorities.
According to him, the visual content, terrain, and operational context clearly indicate that the footage is from an occurrence at a different location, which was first posted on 7 December 2020.
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“The video clips are being deliberately recycled and manipulated by criminal elements and sympathisers of terrorist groups to mislead the public and sow seed of fear.
“They are aiming at dissuading the public from the gains being recorded by troops of the Nigerian armed forces in the ongoing operations across the country,” he said.
Mr Kangye said that the troops in Marte came under attack on 12 May at about 0300hrs.
He said the troops were able to repel the terrorists after a fierce gun battle with a large number of terrorists killed while others escaped with bullet wounds.
According to him, the terrorist resulted in sharing an old clip as propaganda to mislead gullible members of the public.
“This act of misinformation is not only malicious but also a failed attempt to demoralise our gallant troops and undermine the confidence of Nigerians in the armed forces.
“The armed forces condemns in the strongest terms this reckless dissemination of fake content and warns that those behind such disinformation campaigns will be identified and held accountable in accordance with the law,” he said.
The spokesman said the Nigerian military had remained fully committed and unwavering in its efforts to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation.
He said the troops in the North-east and across all theatres of operations had remained resolute and were making significant progress in dismantling terrorist networks.
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“We urge the general public to disregard the fake video and rely only on official sources for verified information on military operations.
“The support and cooperation of all Nigerians remain vital in the collective fight against terrorism and all forms of insecurity,” he added.
