The Defence Headquarters has dismissed the claim by Boko Haram fighters that the killing of rice farmers in Borno was in retaliation for the arrest of one of them.
Coordinator, Defence Media Operations Maj.-Gen. John Enenche on Thursday urged the public to disregard the group’s claim while giving update in Abuja on the operations of the armed forces between November 26 and December 2.
Boko Haram had on Tuesday released a video claiming its fighters killed 78 farmers in retaliation for the arrest of one of them by the farmers.
They also claimed that the farmers had also given information on their movement in the area to the military.
Enenche, however, said the claim was the practice of the sect with the sole motive of instigating fear in people to discourage them from cooperating with security agencies.
“The truth is that whenever they are losing ground as a result of the military activities, this is what they resort to.
“It is a fallacy that because we killed one of them and that the farmers gave information about them; but the likelihood is wickedness.
“They want to use that to instill fear in the minds of the people because they have seen the governor trying to make sure that people return to their homes,” he said.
