Segment of media downplaying military successes – DHQ
The Nigeria military yesterday said segments of society including the media are deliberately playing down the operational successes achieved by Nigerian troops in the fight against insurgents.
Defence spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade made this known during a press briefing in Abuja.
He said “the attitude and activities of segments of the society who are still hell bent on undermining the morale of our fighting force by deliberately playing down the operational successes so far achieved remains very unfortunate indeed.”
According to him, “in a bid to spitefully drown the efforts of our troops, this group of people have been mischievously and exaggeratingly reporting the supportive roles of foreign allies to the detriment of our operational success.”
He called on the media to beware of the mischief and conspiracy by some theorists who are still bent on orchestrating a well-rehearsed smear campaign against the Nigerian military.
The spokesman said the theorists “have been struggling to attribute the recent defeats inflicted on the terrorists to the invincibility of other forces or military outfits other than Nigeria’s.”
Olukolade explained that the current turn of the tide against the terrorists is an initiative conceived and is being driven by the Nigerian military but enjoying the backing of the reinvigorated Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which has troops from Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
He noted that continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.
“Our partners are entrusted with employing the instrumentality of the MultiNational Joint Task Force to contain any terrorists who heads towards our borders with neighbouring countries and preventing the formation of any new safe haven elsewhere,” Olukolade stated.
Olukolade pointed out that: “Unfortunately, some interest groups who seek to misinterpret this fruitful collaboration are seeking to drive a wedge between the Nigerian military and her supporting military formations or contingent by deliberately trying to denigrate and ridicule the effort of the Nigerian forces.
“If other militaries who have just joined the war against the terrorists would be described in some warped reports as ‘battlehardened’, how would any sensible commentator or reporter describe the gallant Nigerian forces who have been battling these mercenary-ridden terrorists for over five years now say?,” he said.
Olukolade further stated that: “the antics of some foreign media and their local collaborators who will stop at nothing to bring the Nigerian military to disrepute is no longer new or unusual. The Nigerian military will not be distracted or detracted from the current momentum which is geared towards stamping out terrorism not only in Nigeria but in the entire sub-region.”