The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied claims that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, accused the people of Borno and Yobe States of complicity in terrorism in the North-East region.

Reacting to what he described as a misrepresentation of the CDS’s remarks during his visit on Wednesday, the Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said “At no time did the CDS indict or generalise that the good people of Borno and Yobe states are complicit in terrorism, as falsely portrayed”.

Uba noted that the CDS did emphasise the critical role of community partnership, vigilance, and collective responsibility in addressing the evolving security challenges facing the nation.

“The fight against terrorism is not the responsibility of the military alone. It is a collective duty. The people of Borno and Yobe must reject terrorism in all its forms and actively support security agencies with credible and timely information,” the DDI quoted Gen. Oluyede to have said.

He added that the CDS called on residents of the two states to “take ownership” of the fight against terrorism in line with globally accepted counter-insurgency practices, which recognise that sustainable security could only be achieved through close collaboration between security forces and local communities.

“The CDS specifically referred to instances where criminal elements and collaborators exploit community structures to aid terrorist activities.

“He gave an example of a particular town where some wounded terrorists who earlier took part in an attack against their own troops were found within the community, which implied that some residents of the community were complicit.”

Oluyede reiterated that to end terrorism, all hands must be on deck. “Our people must resolve that this has to come to an end,” he noted.

According to the statement, this was clearly not a blanket accusation, but a factual observation aimed at encouraging communities to remain vigilant and supportive of security agencies.

Uba stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to their constitutional responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of the nation and protect all law-abiding citizens.