Fact Check: Nigerian Army Never Claimed It Rescued 20 Policemen
A fact-check conducted by NSD (www.securitydigestng.com) on the confusion that trailed Yobe State Police Command’s debunking of claim that troops of the Nigerian Army rescued 20 policemen who were said to have been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists during the Buni Yadi attack, revealed that the Nigerian Army never made any statement in support of that claim.
In the contrary, Army’s statement on the attack rather alluded to a stiff resistance mounted by troops of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force component and personnel of the Nigerian Police in a joint effort that overwhelmed the terrorists with fire power.
In the official statement it released on December 1, 2021 on the Buni Yadi attack which was signed by the Director Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army did not give any hint about abduction of any policeman nor mention the rescue of such abducted police officers by its troops.
Part of the statement on the attack read, “The terrorists, who frantically attempted to gain access into Buni Yadi, mounted on gun trucks, met stiff resistance from troops of 27 Task Force Brigade and Nigerian Army Special Forces School, supported by the Nigerian Air Force Component and personnel of the Nigerian Police, who gallantly fought and overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower”.
Confusion however ensued on Friday in the media space following a rebuttal by Yobe State Police Command denying media report that troops of the Nigerian Army rescued 20 policemen who were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists during their attack on a police station in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
The Force Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Dungus Abdukarim, in a statement on Friday, vehemently debunked the story saying, “The story or news item (on the alleged kidnaping of 20 police personnel in Buni-Yadi and their rescue by troops) is misleading, an utter fabrication and fake news, as no single police personnel was kidnapped from Buni-Yadi town on the day of the alleged incident, or at all”.
He continued, “It’s disheartening to note that this fake news/story has been published in many media outlets, without seeking for clarification from the requisite Police Authorities. It’s even more worrisome that such a misleading story is alleged to have emanated from military sources”.
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NSD’s further checks revealed that the contentious story was attributed to Brig Gen Bernard Onyeuko, the Director, Defence Media Operations, at the Defence Headquarters. In his press briefing on 9 December, 2021, in which he enumerated Nigerian military operations in the past week, he stated thus: “20 kidnapped NPF personnel, who were abducted when the terrorists attacked the Police Division, were rescued by own troops at Buni Yadi within the period”.
A defence analyst who wishes to remain anonymous counselled that “It is wrong to attribute the claim to the Nigerian Army or its spokesman as the statement it released on the said attack was very clear and unambiguous. Nowhere did it mention any abduction or recue of 20 policemen. The mix up is from the DMO statement and the onus is on them to clarify it as quickly as possible in the spirit of inter-agency synergy which the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Irabor is known to be the chief advocate of”.
Reproduced here below is the Nigerian Army’s Statement on the Buni Yadi Attack:
OPERATION HADIN KAI: CASUALTY AS TROOPS DECISIVELY HIT BH/ISWAP TERRORISTS IN BUNI YADI
Troops of Sector 2 Joint Task Force, North East(NE), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have again inflicted casualty on Boko Haram(BH) and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in a fierce battle that ensued in Buni Yadi in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State on Tuesday 30 November 2021.
The terrorists, who frantically attempted to gain access into Buni Yadi, mounted on gun trucks, met stiff resistance from troops of 27 Task Force Brigade and Nigerian Army Special Forces School, supported by the Nigerian Air Force Component and personnel of the Nigerian Police, who gallantly fought and overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower.
The ferrocious battle forced the criminals to withdraw in different directions having suffered heavy losses. Several gun trucks with their occupants were taken out by the troops. Preliminary battle damage assessment revealed the precision with which Air and Land troops engaged the terrorists destroying their gun trucks. Exploitation is still ongoing by troops to take out fleeing remnants of the terrorists.
Commending troops for this operational exploit, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya charged them to sustain the current operational tempo to deny the criminals freedom of action.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Brigadier General
Director Army Public Relations
1 December 2021
 on the confusion that trailed Yobe State Police Command’s debunking of claim that troops of the Nigerian Army rescued 20 policemen who were said to have been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists during the Buni Yadi attack){kind=link}