• Says Report Is A Calculated Attempt To Rubbish Achievements

THE Nigerian military yesterday denied a report that mercenaries are being hired to assist Nigerian troops in the fight against Boko Haram, saying it is a wicked attempt to rubbish the achievement of the armed forces.

Anadolo, a news agency based in Turkey had on Thursday evening published on its website that the mercenaries, estimated to be about 250 personnel, were hired from a South Africa-based private contractor called Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP). It said the contractor deployed the mercenaries along with fighter jets in Operation Lafiya Dole in the Northeast, and attributed this to the success being recorded so far in the fight against the insurgents.

But the Acting Director Defence Information (Ag. DDI) Col. Rabe Abubakar said in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja that the report is not just harmful to the reputation of the military, but also untrue and “aimed at rubbishing the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies who are working hard to contain the insurgencies in the North East. The insinuation and the entire story are utterly scurrilous and a calculated attempt to smear the good image of the Nigerian military”.

Abubakar said the Nigerian forces have both the human and material capacity to contain the insurgents and terrorism in the northeast and would not resort to hiring mercenaries to help them.

It reads in part: “The military has enough trained soldiers to fight the terrorists in the North East without resorting to the use of mercenaries. Also, the military has significantly up-scaled its troops and equipment deployment since the Presidential mandate and does not need mercenaries whether foreign or local to rout out and put an effective end to guerrilla movements in the North East within the allotted time.

“Since the Presidential order, the military has been fighting the insurgents more and more effectively and all Nigerians, irrespective of where they live, have come to understand that we are making progress.”

While vowing to continue with the fight against Boko Haram until victory is achieved, Abubakar said the report is another smear campaign of blackmail by those who have being benefiting from the menace and are not happy that it is coming to an end.
 
“It’s the work of disgruntled elements in society designed to pit the Nigerian people against their armed forces. These blackmailers are not only unhappy because of the progress the military is making in the fight, but moreso because their illicit gains in the war have been effectively stopped”, he added.