The Nigerian Army has denied a report that said bandits in Kwara state overran troops and stole firearms.
The publication is “false and aimed at misleading the public,” according to a statement released on Sunday by Polycarp Okoye, deputy director of army public relations, 2 Division.
According to the web post, soldiers were ambushed by armed bandits in the Obanla area, who took 30,000 rounds of ammo and six General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs).
The story was made up, according to Okoye, to incite fear and lower the spirits of soldiers serving in internal security missions.
He claimed that troops from the 148th battalion (rear), who are presently conducting clearance operations throughout the states of Kogi and Kwara, had kept up their impressive record of defeats against criminal organisations.
“Troops established a blocking position along the Kwara–Ekiti border, neutralized two armed bandits, and recovered two brand-new AK-47 rifles in a recent encounter,” he said.
The web site falsely claimed that Army locations had never been overrun or that any ammo or weapon cache had been lost to criminal forces.
“The publication is a fabrication intended to deceive the public and demoralize brave soldiers who are so hard at work restoring peace and stability in the area.”
Using reliable intelligence, Okoye urged the people to support current military operations and to ignore what he called a “misleading report.”
He emphasized the army’s determination to destroy criminal organizations that operate in neighboring states, Kogi, and Kwara.
Due to armed groups’ recurrent attacks on major roads and rural settlements, security operations have stepped up in north-central Nigeria in recent months, particularly in Kogi, Kwara, and Niger.
The army’s response follows days after a devastating attack in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA of Kwara, when at least 15 civilians were reportedly slain by suspected bandits.
Schools, including the Kwara State College of Nursing Sciences, were relocated to Ilorin for safety after the incident caused hundreds of people to flee Oke-Ode and the surrounding villages.
