The Nigerian Army has confirmed an attack on a military base by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in Yobe State, North-East Nigeria, insisted that no soldier was killed or missing.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, in a statement on Monday condemned the reports that at least 600 soldiers were missing after the insurgents overran the base.
Chukwu is at pain by claims that about 100 of the troops that disappeared from the base in Jilli after the clash, reported in Geidam town while very few of them had their weapons with them.
According to him, the reports are not only far from the truth, but also capable of misleading the public.
On the attack, the army spokesman said that the soldiers promptly repelled the attack while none of them was dead or missing.
“Contrary to the report, the Army wishes to state that, although the base was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, troops reorganised and successfully repelled the attack and normalcy has since returned to the area. Also, all the troops in the base were accounted for contrary to the report,” he said.
The director reiterated the position of the Army and the Federal Government that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the insurgency troubled region of the country was yielding positive results.
He cited the fact that some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled in the heat of the insurgency return to their ancestral homes.
The Army spokesman advised members of the public, particularly residents of the affected areas to go about their legitimate businesses.
He also asked them to disregard the said report, assuring them that the Nigerian Army would continue to protect the lives and property of citizens at all times.
