The Nigerian Army has debunked false claims of mass killing in the south East.
A statement by the spokesman Major General Onyema Nwachukwu says it is a mischievous and systematic campaign of calumny by Simon Ekpa, a self acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafran terrorists.
The statement adds that the self acclaimed leader through spurious and unfounded claims raised alarm on a viral video alleging that troops are carrying mass killing of innocent Igbos at Oliver and dumping them in the River. The report also contained some unimaginable and not well couched falsehood targeted at whipping-up negative sentiments against troops and inciting anarchy in the South East region.
Contrary to the falsehood being spread from the devious propaganda machinery of the desperate and self-serving terrorists’ leader, the Army wishes to state that it has conducted a comprehensive investigation on the allegations made by the devious infamous leader and his associates and categorically refutes these baseless claims by throwing more light on the occurrence.
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In the first instance, the troops in the video footage are not personnel of the Nigerian Army as the insignia visible on their berets clearly identifies them as personnel of the Nigerian Navy, who were engaged in a routine test firing of a weapon system mounted on a vehicle in order to ensure the safety of other road users and commuters, the troops took precautionary measures by halting vehicular movement along the road, until the test firing was safely concluded. Observers were also kept at a safe distance, maintaining transparency and prioritizing the safety of all involved.
Secondly, preliminary findings also indicate that the occurrence took place in the Southwest region of the country and not the Southeast as advertently portrayed by the alarmist propagandists. Furthermore, it was observed that there was no evidence to support the assertion that individuals were being shot at in the river, nor have there been any report from local communities regarding the discovery of corpses in the area.
Furthermore, the Army enjoined the public to disregard the unfounded claims and irredeemable falsehood being propagated by Simon Ekpa and his associates, whose apparent objective is to disseminate misinformation and incite unrest, adding that they remain steadfast in the commitment to maintaining peace and order, ensuring the safety and security of all citizens in the country.
(Editor: Ena Agbanoma)
