The Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has dismissed claims that suspected terrorists are setting up camps around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
General Irabor spoke on Thursday during the Ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, placing the source of the said information as one of the online media mischiefs.
Leading Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, on Wednesday, raised the alarm that it had gained intelligence from some sources that the terrorists had started setting up camps around the FCT and Niger State, calling for immediate action.
However, reacting to the alarm, General Irabor said the claim is false and should be discountenanced.
He pointed out that many people pushing out information do so to ‘fly agenda kites’, adding that it there was anything like being claimed by those raising the alarm, the military would know.
Reacting to alleged military brutality in the Southeast, Irabor said that the perception of discriminatory military engagement against the people of the region was not correct.
Responding to a question on why the military chose to scale operations up in the Southeast while bandits in the Northwest and Northcentral were considered for negotiations and repentant terrorists in the Northeast are being rehabilitated, the Defense Chief noted that insecurity varies from region to region.
According to him, “what you find in the southeast is different from what is obtainable in the north.
On Sheikh Ahmad Gumi engagement with bandits in the north, he said the Muslim cleric does not work for the military.
He explained the the military would not prevent anyone from playing his or her part in the fight against insecurity.
However what is not acceptable to the military, he said, is when such persons work at cross purposes with security agencies’ objectives.
Gen. Irabor informed that despite the military engagement in the southeast, he had led discussions with people of the area.
He said while Nigerians have the right to pass their views to government, they must not do so through the use of violence.
The CDS warned: “If anyone thinks they can try the armed forces, let him try the shape of the armed forces.” (The Nation)
