The Nigerian Army has disclaimed the report, claiming that troops advance at the ongoing Operation DEEP PUNCH II was deliberately halted to allow the escape of the factional Boko Haram terrorists group leader, Abubakar Shekau in Sambisa forest.
It described the report as mischievous and false, aimed at rubbishing the efforts of the army in bringing lasting peace to the crisis-ridden area.
Recall that leader of insurgent group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, had again escaped from being captured by men of the Nigerian Army.
Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE in a statement sent to DAILY POST said the report was uuntrue and should be discarded.
According to him, though the Theatre Command considers the misinformation as very laughable, it was quite disheartening and capable of dampening the morale of troops who were working round the clock to fight the terrorists in north eastern Nigeria.
He said, “Contrary to these mischievous allegations, no such order or directive was given by anybody to any of the units and formations on that operation. This spurious allegation is most unfortunate and wake up call for the public to be very wary of agents of destabilization that are determined to thwart our efforts of clearing the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating in nooks and crannies of Sambisa forest and the Lake Chad islands.