FOLLOWING media report during the weekend that one of the abducted girls from Chibok escaped from the terrorists and was rescued by troops, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted the story, saying it is “misleading.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has issued a second warning to members of the insurgents to surrender as the military is not only aware of all their hiding places, camps and enclaves, but is determined to end terrorism in the country within the stipulated timeline.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the acting Director Defence Information (Ag.DDI) Col. Rabe Abubakar, condemned the report carried by a named paper claiming that, “one of the Chibok girls who escaped from terrorists’ captivity was handed to the military post in Baga”, saying it is another “unconscionable outing as there is no iota of truth in its entirety, hence it should be disregarded.”

A newspaper (name withheld) on Saturday published a story that one of the abducted Chibok girls escaped from the Boko Haram insurgents, after being rescued by the Army told a story of the other girls. How most of them were impregnated by the terrorists and infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Abubakar said the story is not true, that the resolve of the military to rescue the abducted girls and all others held hostage in the northeast by the insurgents notwithstanding, it would be better if Nigerians are given truthful information regarding the ongoing counter-terrorism offensive in the northeast.

The statement reads in part, “the sensitive nature of this report notwithstanding, the moral justification for this false publication cannot be substantiated. Like other well meaning Nigerians, friends of Nigeria and the international community who showed concern for the plight of the abducted girls, the Nigerian military also being a component of the society, is equally worried and is doing everything possible to address the current security challenges.

According to the military, “all Boko Haram terrorists wherever they are, should desist from all acts of terrorism, surrender themselves and face the law now. We wish to inform them that we are aware of all their hideouts, camps and enclaves. They should follow their colleagues who have so far surrendered. Failure to surrender will result in serious consequences as our troops are fast closing up on them.”