By Dipo Olowookere
Authorities of the Nigerian Army have reacted to online publication on Thursday, April 25, 2019 on a purported massive attack on Konduga in the north eastern part of the country.
In a statement in the wee hours of Saturday, the report was not only described as fake, but baseless, which according to the Army, was solely designed to cause severe panic, utter chaos and pandemonium within the communities.
The publication was also said to be a deliberate effort to smear and discredit the image and sacrifices of the entire operation as well as the peace in the North East region and the country at large.
The Army said in order to consolidate and maintain the tremendous successes achieved so far in the fight against insurgency, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole were currently conducting clearance operations within the Theatre and also projecting it further on the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin in collaboration with the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to flush out the remnants of the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) lurking around the borders and deny them any freedom of action.
“Members of the general public are please requested to disregard the publication which is baseless and unsubstantiated as Konduga remain peaceful with no attack on the community.
“While we condemn this fabrication of falsehood, we call on the media to always seek clarification on issues of national security before going to press.
“We therefore urge the good people of Konduga and environs to go about their lawful activities with assurance that troops and other security agencies are on alert against any possible threat.
“Additionally, you are please requested to provide timely information on any suspicious activities within your communities for prompt action,” the statement signed by Colonel Ado Isa, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, 7 Division Nigerian Army/Operation, Lafiya Dole said.