The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government of Nigeria has debunked Saturday’s claims made by terror group Islamic State (ISIS) that its West African arm, Boko Haram, had launched 100 attacks in Nigeria between October and December, 2015.
According to data from an infographic published online, ISIS had also claimed that at least 1,000 people were killed or injured during the period by Boko Haram, citing media reports about Boko Haram attacks in the country as source.
However, in a swift reaction, Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the figures being bandied about by ISIS as a figment of their imagination.
In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, Mohammed said: ”Apart from these fake figures, we are aware of the planned release of old videos of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria through the terrorists’ preferred channel to give the impression that they have continued to carry out spectacular attacks. Those videos are neither recent nor genuine.
”The ISIS/Boko Haram propaganda is being deliberately timed to coincide with the Dec. 31st 2015 deadline issued to the military by the President to decimate the terrorists, and is also aimed at distracting the military and striking at its all-time high morale.
”But the truth of the matter is that the capability of the military has improved drastically, and there is a higher level of awareness among Nigerians concerning the war against terrorism, which has led them (Nigerians) to increase their support for the troops on the frontline and to also own the war.
“Therefore, the figures being pushed out by ISIS on behalf of Boko Haram represent nothing but a figment of the terrorists’ imagination. We recently visited Bama, from where they once ran their phony Caliphate, but all we saw were gallant troops holding sway. We even shared a delicious lunch of ‘balango’ (a kind of suya) and soft drinks with the troops.
“We therefore wonder where the terrorists have been carrying out their so-called spectacular attacks, as indicated by ISIS, when indeed the capability of the shameless cowards has been so degraded that all they can do now is to target innocent women and children, using equally innocent children and women as their bomb carriers,” he declared.
Mohammed urged Nigerians to beware of the antics of the Boko Haram insurgents, describing them as clutching at straws because they are broke, hungry, sick and desperate.
“In the days ahead, there will be more of such Boko Haram propaganda, targeted at weakening the resolve of our brave troops, instilling fears into the minds of Nigerians and also seeking to impress their fellow terrorists in ISIS. Nigerians should see the propaganda for what it is: a hoax!”
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