Military Says Report On Arrested Insurgents By Foreign Allies Is Untrue

The Nigerian military says there has been no arrest or operation by any foreign military or security allies in the ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted girls or conduct of the ongoing counter terrorist campaign in Nigeria, as reported by national dailies on Saturday.

In a statement, the spokesman for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade, said: “Contrary to the reports and the pictures being circulated online to illustrate the claims, there has been no incident or record as reported”.

He further stated that the pictures being circulated to illustrate the claims in the story were not related to the situation in Nigeria as they were taken from scenes in other countries.

“Indeed, no troop of the American Marines has so far been deployed in any part of Nigeria as is being circulated in certain media.

“International coalition is quite appropriate in handling terrorism being a trans-border and global crime,” Major General Olukolade stressed.

He also said that the public would be duly briefed on the areas of collaboration with allied forces in the mission to “bring back our girls” as the need arises.

He therefore, cautioned that there was no need to engage in misleading speculations while the mission is in progress.

An image of two white soldiers holding a black man has been circulated and used by online publishers, claiming that they were personnel of the US Army deployed to Nigeria to aid in the efforts to rescue over 200 girls abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect on April 14 arrested two members of the sect.

The girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, one of the threes that have been under State of Emergency rule for close to one year.

The sect members have carried out series of attacks on villages in the north east, destroying Churches and schools.