Boko Haram Donation Of Ramadan Gifts To Borno, Yobe Residents Stage-Managed — Army

The Nigerian Army has challenged Sahara reporters to mention the
location where Boko Haram terrorists distributed Ramadan packages
and cash in Borno and Yobe as reported by the medium.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Mohammed Yerima, in a
statement on Thursday, accused the news medium of helping the
terrorists to propagate falsehood.

Mr Yerima said the said report was published by Sahara Reporters
on May 11, alleging that Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa
Province had distributed Ramadan welfare packages to some residents
of Borno and Yobe States.

He said the article gave a breakdown of the food items
distributed including cash which the publisher alleged was meant to
entice the locals to join the terrorists’ ranks.

According to him, the article also mentioned the 2019 report of
International Crisis Group, which tended to pour encomiums on the
terrorists’ recruitment system since breaking away from the
Abubakar Shekau’s faction.

“Unfortunately the article did not mention any specific location
where the alleged distribution took place.

“The author of this article displayed his/her clear lack of
situational awareness by getting designation of the various
terrorist groups muddled up.

“In the self-styled amateurish publication, there was no single
mention of any community that the said distribution took place,
which is indicative of the fact that there was indeed no community
or village where such activity took place.

“The writer consciously omitted such an important part knowing
that once a name is attached to the publication it would be much
easier to unravel the motive behind it, which is simply to mislead
the unsuspecting readers,” he said.

Mr Yerima said the army, being a professional organisation
decided to look at the article with every seriousness with a view
to making intelligence out of it.

He said their analysis established that it was a hurriedly
packaged piece of propaganda that was meant to distract the
populace away from the recent defeats being suffered by the
terrorists.

According to him, it is a notorious fact that the terrorists at
various times have made several attempts to make the lives of the
residents of these states miserable through the Ramadan season,
which was met with an overwhelming response from the troops of
Operation Hadin Kai.

The army spokesperson said a team of eagle-eyed analysts of the
Nigerian army went further to critically examine the pictures
attached to the publication and discovered that they were simply
stage-managed in a typical terrorists-styled propaganda.

According to him, the uncoordinated director of the photo shoot
presented the pictures according to his IQ and decided to measure
the standard of the Nigerian public from his own personal
standing.

He said the author also used two poorly constructed shacks sited
in the wilderness in multiple scenes by simply changing the
arrangement of items and introducing different faces to make it
look like an existing structure.

According to Mr Yerima, the author later posted a truck loaded
with bags and a few terrorists on it parked in the middle of
nowhere.

“A closer look at the background of all the pictures clearly
showed an empty forest with no signs of human habitation or
activity accept the few terrorists and some children that must have
been forcefully taken away from their parents.

“These facts, therefore, met every known style of the terrorists
propaganda.

“The million-dollar question here is why the choice of Sahara
Reporters as the medium to propagate such unfounded piece that
failed every test of professional journalism?

“Could it be that the terrorists find the media outfit fertile
enough for propagating their devilish stories?

“These are questions that demand answers from the publishers of
this piece of disinformation,” he said.

Mr Yerima, however, urged the public to disregard the article,
adding that it was nothing but a tissue of lies aimed at misleading
them.

He gave the assurance that the Nigerian army would continue to
maintain the pressure on the remnants of terrorists hibernating in
the forests around the North-Eastern borders until they are
completely obliterated.

The Nigerian Army has challenged Sahara reporters to mention the
location where Boko Haram terrorists distributed Ramadan packages
and cash in Borno and Yobe as reported by the medium.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Mohammed Yerima, in a
statement on Thursday, accused the news medium of helping the
terrorists to propagate falsehood.

Mr Yerima said the said report was published by Sahara Reporters
on May 11, alleging that Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa
Province had distributed Ramadan welfare packages to some residents
of Borno and Yobe States.

He said the article gave a breakdown of the food items
distributed including cash which the publisher alleged was meant to
entice the locals to join the terrorists’ ranks.

According to him, the article also mentioned the 2019 report of
International Crisis Group, which tended to pour encomiums on the
terrorists’ recruitment system since breaking away from the
Abubakar Shekau’s faction.

“Unfortunately the article did not mention any specific location
where the alleged distribution took place.

“The author of this article displayed his/her clear lack of
situational awareness by getting designation of the various
terrorist groups muddled up.

“In the self-styled amateurish publication, there was no single
mention of any community that the said distribution took place,
which is indicative of the fact that there was indeed no community
or village where such activity took place.

“The writer consciously omitted such an important part knowing
that once a name is attached to the publication it would be much
easier to unravel the motive behind it, which is simply to mislead
the unsuspecting readers,” he said.

Mr Yerima said the army, being a professional organisation
decided to look at the article with every seriousness with a view
to making intelligence out of it.

He said their analysis established that it was a hurriedly
packaged piece of propaganda that was meant to distract the
populace away from the recent defeats being suffered by the
terrorists.

According to him, it is a notorious fact that the terrorists at
various times have made several attempts to make the lives of the
residents of these states miserable through the Ramadan season,
which was met with an overwhelming response from the troops of
Operation Hadin Kai.

The army spokesperson said a team of eagle-eyed analysts of the
Nigerian army went further to critically examine the pictures
attached to the publication and discovered that they were simply
stage-managed in a typical terrorists-styled propaganda.

According to him, the uncoordinated director of the photo shoot
presented the pictures according to his IQ and decided to measure
the standard of the Nigerian public from his own personal
standing.

He said the author also used two poorly constructed shacks sited
in the wilderness in multiple scenes by simply changing the
arrangement of items and introducing different faces to make it
look like an existing structure.

According to Mr Yerima, the author later posted a truck loaded
with bags and a few terrorists on it parked in the middle of
nowhere.

“A closer look at the background of all the pictures clearly
showed an empty forest with no signs of human habitation or
activity accept the few terrorists and some children that must have
been forcefully taken away from their parents.

“These facts, therefore, met every known style of the terrorists
propaganda.

“The million-dollar question here is why the choice of Sahara
Reporters as the medium to propagate such unfounded piece that
failed every test of professional journalism?

“Could it be that the terrorists find the media outfit fertile
enough for propagating their devilish stories?

“These are questions that demand answers from the publishers of
this piece of disinformation,” he said.

Mr Yerima, however, urged the public to disregard the article,
adding that it was nothing but a tissue of lies aimed at misleading
them.

He gave the assurance that the Nigerian army would continue to
maintain the pressure on the remnants of terrorists hibernating in
the forests around the North-Eastern borders until they are
completely obliterated.