The Nigerian Army has confirmed an attack on a military base by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in Yobe State, North-East Nigeria.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, revealed this in a statement on Monday.
He, however, condemned the reports that at least 600 soldiers were missing after the insurgents overran the base.
Brigadier General Chukwu also faulted claims that about 100 of the troops that disappeared from the base in Jilli after the clash, reported in Geidam town while very few of them had their weapons with them.
He stated categorically that the reports were not only far from the truth, but also capable of misleading the public.
The Army spokesman informed Nigerians that the soldiers promptly repelled the attack while none of them was dead or missing.
“Contrary to the report, the Army wishes to state that, although the base was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, troops reorganised and successfully repelled the attack and normalcy has since returned to the area. Also, all the troops in the base were accounted for contrary to the report,” he said.
Consequently, the Brigadier General insisted that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the insurgency troubled region of the country was yielding positive results.
According to him, this made some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled in the heat of the insurgency to return to their ancestral homes.
The Army spokesman advised members of the public, particularly residents of the affected areas to go about their legitimate businesses.
He also asked them to disregard the said report, assuring them that the Nigerian Army would continue to protect the lives and property of citizens at all times.
