The Kpaidna community in Bosso Local Government Council of Niger State has faulted justification by the military for invading the area, saying the army is being economical with the truth.

The community also debunked the claim that the civilians killed were bandits, just as it insisted the community has no record of criminality.General Officer Commanding 1 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, while briefing newsmen on the killing of 11 soldiers and 7 civilians, had said the civilians were bandits.

Oyebade also disclosed that the army was informed by intelligence reports linking the community with stockpiled arms, hence the decision to embark on a “cordon and search operation.”

The senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, David Umoru, at a media briefing in Minna, yesterday, said from discussions with members of the community and the police, it was clear Oyebade was misinformed or is in denial of the truth.

Umoru asked: “If the army claimed that the operation was a joint one with other security agencies, why is it that the casualties were only on the side of the army? Why did other arms of security agencies involved not suffer casualties?”

He also wondered why the over 60 people arrested are being detained by the military in their barracks instead of being handed over to the police, which is saddled with the constitutional responsibility of investigation and prosecution.