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Tag: DHQ

  • Terrorists now disguise as fruits, vegetable vendors – DHQ

    The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has said the Boko Haram terrorists now hide explosive devices in fruits and vegetables which they hawk in wheel barrows in markets and crowded places in the Northeast.

    A statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Defence Information, Brig.Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said the aim of the terrorists was to disguise as fruits and vegetable vendors to gain ample room to detonate the explosives.

    The statement said, “The terrorists now hide IEDs under vegetable wares in carts and wheelbarrows and move to crowded places where they detonate them for maximum casualties. The recent terrorists attack in the Northeast is a case in point.

    “Having been effectively dislodged and decimated, the Boko Haram terror group has begun some systematic isolated attacks mainly on soft targets in their desperation to remain relevant.

    “The Defence Headquarters hereby advises the general public to constantly be alert to this latest terrorist tactics and to report promptly any suspicious persons or objects to the nearest security agency.

    “While commending the general public and the media for their continuous support so far, all citizens are once again reminded that security is everybody’s concern therefore, they should join hands with the security agencies to eliminate the remnant of the terrorists.”

     

  • DHQ dismisses report of Boko Haram attack in South-West

    DHQ dismisses report of Boko Haram attack in South-West

    The Defence Headquarters has dismissed reports that the Boko Haram sect was planning to attack some South-Western states of Nigeria.

    This is contained in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday by the acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar.

    Abubakar said the report was baseless, unfounded and urged the public to disregard such reports.

    He said the military in recent operations in the North-East had degraded the insurgents, stressing that it was not possible for the insurgents to coordinate attacks in any part of the country.

    He said the Armed Forces are using this medium to appeal to the good citizens of Nigeria particularly in the west not to lose sleep over the unfounded and fictitious reports and to go about their businesses.

    “The attention of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has been drawn to the above caption published by some section of the media claiming impending attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in some south western states of the country.

    “This story is not only baseless but lacks substance in its entirety, hence should be disregarded.

    “Of more worrisome is the claim that the terrorists have infiltrated the western states.

    “While the military and other security agencies have made tremendous successes in degrading and decimating the terrorists, it would be unthinkable to raise these unfounded rumours of Boko Haram terrorist planning attack not only in the west but any other part of the country for that matter,’’ Abubakar was quoted as saying.

    Abubakar said the coordination and synergy between the military and other security services, which led to the arrest of some ring leaders of the terrorists in some states, was instructive to their incapability to wage any coordinated attack.

    He, however, urged the public to always be wary of suspicious individuals or groups in their localities and to report such to security agencies for prompt action.

  • DHQ: No mercenaries for fight against Boko Haram

    DHQ: No mercenaries for fight against Boko Haram

    Nigeria does not need mercenaries in its fight against Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday.

    The country has the capacity to handle the insurgents on its own, Acting Director of Defence Information (DDI) Col. Rabe Abubakar said.

    Abubakar was reacting to some foreign news agencies’ claim that Nigeria is planning to hire South African mercenaries to prosecute the anti-insurgency campaign.

    The former President Goodluck Jonathan administration was criticised for secretly engaging the services of some South African meceneries.

    The foreign news agencies claimed that the Buhari administration is also planning to hire merceneries to help the military to crush Boko Harm  by December, the deadline given the armed forces to crush the sect.

    Some reports yesterday quoted an anonymous top military source as saying that Nigeria has engaged South Africa-based private contractor Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP).

    Five persons were yesterday arraigned in an Abuja Federal High Court for the October 2 Nyanya and Kuje bomb explosions. Their arraignment followed their parade at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) Abuja Headquarters.

    Also in a statement in Abuja, Force spokesperson Olabisi Kolawole said Boko Haram members “use iPads and laptops to make bombs”.

    According to the agency, STTEP is deploying 250 personnel and equipment, including fighter jets in Operation Fire Force, to help Nigeria crush Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast.

    Describing the report as part of a deliberately orchestrated covert action and propaganda aimed at setting Nigerians against their government and the military, Abubakar said they were part of the blackmail and disinformation from Nigeria’s enemies.

    The issue is being given added significance because shortly before he came into office, President Muhammadu Buhari had declared the Jonathan administration’s hiring of South African mercenaries as a big shame.

    “”It is a shame it can’t secure 14 out of 774 local government areas  in the country”, Buhari had told elders of the Arewa Consultative Forum in Kaduna in May.

    Speaking on the telephone yesterday, Abubakar said: “The issue about mercenaries lacks substance;  I want you to note that for the past months, the military has been fighting this war more and more effectively and all Nigerians, irrespective of where they live, have come to understand that we are making tremendous progress.

    “So, why should some people bring up this idea of bringing in mercenaries? Which mercenaries, from where and to do what?

    “You see, all this is part of the usual antics of blackmail by the enemies of Nigeria – those who do not want the progress that the Nigerian military are making and those who are not happy with the successes we are recording.

    “They are trying to derail by inciting Nigerians against the Nigerian armed forces.

    “There is no nation in the world where such thing (hiring mercenaries while winning a battle) happens.

    “We are doing our best and achieving effective results; we don’t need to say it because Nigerians see it and appreciate what we are doing. We will continue to use our soldiers, our officers and all our domestic resources.

    “The Nigerian armed forces is doing its best to ensure that we surmount the Boko Haram issue and other allied criminalities; so,   such disinformation or blackmail will not deter us from doing what we are supposed to be doing.

    “It is not just a lie; it is completely unfounded and baseless.

    “We will continue to do our part and our armed forces are capable of dislodging Boko Haram.

    “We have done it elsewhere and we will do it in our country”, he said.

  • Beware of Boko Haram packaged bombs, DHQ warns

    Members of the public should beware of the Boko Haram sect’s newly-devised lethal combination of packaged bombs, the Defence Headquarters has warned.

    Referring to some of such cluster bombs being recovered in Adamawa state by Nigerian Army Engineers, the Defence Headquarters stated that   some of such items packaged in pots or metal containers are aimed towards simultaneously wreaking havoc on many targets, such as columns of vehicles, marketplaces, places of worship or large concentration of troops.

    In a statement issued by the DHQ’s spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar on Thursday, he emphasized the deceptive nature of the deadly bombs and urged citizens to report discovery of any such objects instead of going near it.

    “The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wishes to inform Nigerians living in the North-East and any other parts of the country to keep a lookout for cluster bombs sometimes called ‘scatter bombs’ as the Nigerian Army Engineers serving in Adamawa State have recovered some caches of these bombs in the contested areas in recent time.

    “The military high command has discovered that the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) in the areas have used such lethal instruments over time to push their callous terrorist cause.

    “For easy identification, it is important to note that cluster bombs are bombs that house sub munitions, that is, smaller explosives contained in individual cases.

    “These bombs are used against large areas containing many targets, such as columns of vehicles, marketplaces, places of worship or large troop concentration as the case may be.

  • Boko Haram’s end imminent – DHQ

    Boko Haram’s end imminent – DHQ

    The Defence Headquarters has announced the imminent end of the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the reign of the sect would soon be a thing of the past.

    The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, reportedly gave the assurance when a group of journalists visited him in his Abuja office on Monday.

    A statement issued by Lieutenant Commander Olabisi Way, restated a renewed commitment of the leadership of the Armed Forces and determination on the part of the troops in the counter insurgency operations.

    The DHQ eulogized what it described as the heart-warming success of the coordination between the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army in the ongoing campaign.

    “Troops have uprooted the Boko Haram insurgents from their strongholds, including their several camps in the Sambisa forest,” the statement added.

    Col. Abubakar, according to the statement, described carrying of firearms by any citizen against his country, under whatever guise, as unpatriotic act.

    He called on unrepentant members of Boko Haram to have a rethink, lay down their arms and abandon their strange and uncivilized ideology for betterment of mankind.

    The Defence spokesman was also said to have used the occasion to commend the troops for their ever-ready posture to tackle head-on all forms of criminality being perpetrated by the terrorists.

    He attributed the feat recorded so far to motivation and injection of right arsenal in the prosecution of the battle against insurgency.

     

     

  • Troops not involved in torture in North-East, says DHQ

    Troops not involved in torture in North-East, says DHQ

    The Defence Headquarters yesterday dismissed as untrue claims by Amnesty International (AI) about the involvement of soldiers in torture or any violation of human rights in the North-East.

    It also said it has reorganised the Special Task Force operating in Plateau State, North-Central Region.

    The DHQ made the clarification in a statement by the Acting Director Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar.

    He said the allegations “have been convincingly refuted and proven to be an orchestrated conspiracy against the Nigerian Armed Forces.”

    The Nigerian military, he declared,  “is a professional organization with track records of achievements in peacekeeping operations and therefore shares no comparison with rag-tag band of terrorists whatsoever.

    “The military is constitutionally empowered to secure Nigeria from any form of insecurity.

    “It is therefore unfair for Amnesty International and any other group to accuse the Nigerian military of human rights abuse based on cropped images used by the country’s enemies and detractors to achieve their purpose.

    “The Nigerian military under the new dawn will never humiliate or harass any law-abiding citizen, and would remain focused to end terrorism soon.”

    In a separate statement, the DHQ said: “In the new arrangement, the erstwhile internal security outfit known as Special Task Force (STF) is now designated “Operation Safe Haven”.

    “The arrangement is in line with the mission and vision of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin.

    “The reform is geared towards giving the security operation in the state more bite for better performance.

    “With this vigour and determination, it is hoped that the incessant killings in the area as a result of ethnic clashes would be contained by the troops of the reinvigorated Operation Safe Haven in line with its Rules of Engagement.”

    It assured innocent citizens of protection of their lives and property, and urged the communities to live in peace and report any case inimical to the breaking down of law and order to the security agencies for prompt action as nobody is above the law.

  • Troops’ll soon neutralise terrorists, DHQ assures Nigerians

    Troops’ll soon neutralise terrorists, DHQ assures Nigerians

    DESPITE the rising wave of suicide bombings in the Northeast, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday said troops will soon neutralise Boko Haram insurgents.

    It also said the insurgents were already in disarray and therefore opted to embark to wreak havoc while fleeing from their camps.

    The DHQ gave the assurance in a statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar.

    The statement reads: “The Defence Headquarters has condemned in its entirety the spate of suicide attacks in the Northeast where scores of innocent lives are lost on regular basis. The latest being the suicide bombing at Sabon Gari market in Borno State.

    “Those perpetrating these heinous crimes are callous, barbaric and monsters whose activities will soon become a thing of the past.

    “The military is intensifying efforts to continue to break the bones of the terrorists and wish to re-state and re-assure Nigerians that it is not relenting in its efforts to rid the country of terrorism and any act of criminalities.

    “Every step is being taken to neutralise the capability of terrorists whose activities still continue to constitute danger to civil populace as they are in disarray while running away from their former safe haven and no longer capable of confronting the troops.

    “Defence Headquarters is therefore appealing to the general public to be extra vigilant and be wary of strange faces and objects in their localities.

    “Asymmetric warfare calls for collective effort of both the general public and the security agencies in information gathering and sharing.

    “The public is advised to always give timely information to the security agencies in order to avert the re-occurrence of the ugly incidence.”

  • Troops will soon neutralize Boko Haram – DHQ

    Despite the increasing suicide bombings in the Northeast, the Defence Headquarters on Wednesday said troops will soon neutralize the Boko Haram insurgents.

    It also said the insurgents were already in disarray and opted to wreak havoc while fleeing from their camps.

    The DHQ gave the assurance in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar.

    The statement said: “The Defence Headquarters has condemned in its entirety the spate of suicide attacks in the Northeast where scores of innocent lives are lost on regular basis. The latest being the suicide bombing at Sabon Gari market in Borno State.

    “Those perpetrating these heinous crimes are callous, barbaric and monsters whose activities will soon become a thing of the past.

    “The military is intensifying efforts to continue to break the bones of the terrorists and wish to re-state and reassure Nigerians that it is not relenting in its efforts to rid the country of terrorism and any act of criminalities.

    “Every step is being taken to neutralize the capability of terrorists whose activities still continue to constitute danger to civil populace as they are in disarray while running away from their former safe haven and no longer capable of confronting the troops.

    “Defence Headquarters is therefore appealing to the general public to be extra vigilant and be wary of strange faces and objects in their localities.

    “Asymmetric warfare calls for collective effort of both the general public and the security agencies in information gathering and sharing.

    “The public is advised to always give timely information to the security agencies in order to avert the re-occurrence of the ugly incidence.”

     

  • DHQ: we’re reviewing cases of deserter, dismissed soldiers

    DHQ: we’re reviewing cases of deserter, dismissed soldiers

    The Nigerian Army has said it is reviewing the cases of all dismissed and deserter soldiers.

    The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman,  in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said the Nigerian Army was reviewing some recent disciplinary cases and was yet to arrive at any decision to recall any soldier.

    “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a correspondence making the rounds in some media regarding an administrative procedure to review some recent disciplinary cases in the Nigerian Army.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the Nigerian Army is reviewing all recent disciplinary cases due to the wave of litigations and petitions by some aggrieved personnel,’’ he said.

    He urged the public, not to misconstrue the recent directive to mean total recall of dismissed and deserter soldiers.

    Prominent Nigerians and human rights activists had urged the government to re-consider the cases against the soldiers because of the peculair situation in which they had to fight the terror war.

  • DHQ denies Chadian air strikes in Nigeria

    DHQ denies Chadian air strikes in Nigeria

    The Defence Headquarters on Thursday denied claims that the Chadian military has carried out air strikes on some Boko Haram targets in Nigeria.

    DHQ said it suspected that the areas attacked by Chadian forces might likely be in Niger Republic.

    The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja.

    The statement said: “The claim that the Chadian military has conducted air strikes against six terrorist camps in Nigeria is not correct.

    “The fact is that the Nigerian Air Force surveillance mission identified targets tagged as Camp 6 around Bosso town which is not within Nigeria’s territory and alerted the partners accordingly.

    “The places reported to have been struck by the Chadian are therefore most likely to be in Niger Republic and not Nigeria as widely reported in the international media.

    “Although the terms of the multilateral and bilateral understanding with partners in the war against terror allow some degree of hot pursuit against the terrorists, the territory of Nigeria has not been violated as insinuated in the reports circulated in some foreign media.

    “The Nigerian military will continue to cooperate with partners in the mission to exterminate or contain terrorists strictly in conformity with existing terms of the Concept of Operation at strategic, operational or tactical levels.

    “It is however important that issues are accurately reported while avoiding misleading or unnecessary sensationalism from any quarter.”