Nigerian Army authorities have debunked reports in a section of the media that a retired Lieutenant Colonel who led Boko Haram in Yobe was arrested.
The report which quoted a military source was described by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brig Gen Ibrahim Attahiru as “a figment of imagination concocted by some fifth columnists.
Attahiru’s statement reads in full, “The attention of Army Headquarters has been drawn to a story entitled “Army arrests retired Lieutenant Colonel who led Yobe Boko Haram attacks” which was published by some sections of the media.
“The report stated inter alia that, the Boko Haram attack of Thursday 24 October 2013 on Damaturu Yobe State was led by a retired Lieutenant Colonel who has been arrested by security forces during the encounter and is currently being detained at a military facility. The report further quoted Army source as saying that the retired Lieutenant Colonel was properly discharged from the Army and it was a big surprise when he was arrested and identified by those who knew him as a former officer.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to state categorically that the report was a figment of imagination concocted by some fifth columnists within the media that are desperate to malign the image of the Nigerian Army. I wish to state that contrary to the newspaper report, no retired Lieutenant Colonel was ever arrested in any encounter with the Boko Haram insurgents anywhere.
“The need to make this press statement is borne out of the fact that this report has the tendency to mislead well meaning Nigerians and the general public.
“More so, that no conscious effort was made by the media to clarify facts with the appropriate military authority before rushing to press. Consequent upon the above, you are please requested to discountenance the information contained in the report”.
