The Nigerian Army, on Thursday, debunked falsehood being peddled by some online media outlets claiming attack on troops as well as death of several soldiers and civilians in a council area secretariat in Imo.
The Acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, in a statement in Enugu, said that the online reports had “no iota of truth and fiction of the imagination of sympathisers of dissident group.”
“The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to the falsehood being peddled by some online media outlets claiming that an attack on troops of the Division deployed at Ehime Mbano Local Government Secretariat led to the death of several soldiers and civilians.
“The publication is a fiction playing out in the minds of the terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) criminal elements and their sympathizers that want to dampen the confidence of Imolites and by extension people of South-East region,” Unuakhalu said.
He recalled that on Oct. 3, 2023, the Local Government Headquarters of Isiala Mbano LGA, built and maintained by public fund, was set ablaze and destroyed by same IPOB/ESN criminal elements but there was no attack or causality on troop or civilians.
The spokesman noted that similar mindless attempt was made at the secretariat of Ehime Mbano council area of Imo State in the late hours of Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
He said that, however, the gallant effort of the troops prevented the criminals from gaining entrance into the council area secretariat.
“The criminal elements who came in their numbers shooting sporadically from a distance had to beat a hasty retreat due to the overwhelming fire power of the vigilant and gallant troops.
“During the exploitation carried out in the early hours of today, it was confirmed the dissidents suffered heavy casualties as seen from the blood stains on Ehime Mbano- Oriagwu Road,” he said.
Unuakhalu advised the general public to disregard misinformation by the online publications as troops would continue to protect citizens and critical government infrastructure in the state by dealing decisively with criminal elements who aim to subvert the government.
He noted that “the anti-people cowardly behaviour” of the dissidents burning public buildings built by tax peoples money and where law abiding citizens eke out a living “is most unfortunate”.
The spokesman said, “Apparently, the IPOB elements are not for the people but for themselves.
“Headquarters of 82 Division enjoins all Imolites and by extension the residents of the South-East to continue to provide security information that will allow security agencies to eliminate the criminal elements by calling our toll-free line *193 and press Option 2* .
“The good citizens of the South-East region are encouraged to go about their normal socio-economic activities without fear or intimidation from any group of persons.”