The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday, said that the military was focusing on strategies to free the girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, who were taken captive by the Boko Haram sect, even as it dissociated the outfit from allegation that it lacked the capacity to rescue the girls.
In a statement in Abuja through its Director of Defence Information, DDI, Major General Chris Olukolade, the DHQ disowned the statement credited to it in the report by a section of the media alleging that the military lacks capacity to rescue the abducted girls.
“It is unfortunate that the constructive engagement between the DHQ and the Coalition of Civil Society Group “Open Society Foundation” on Tuesday in the ongoing effort to rescue the Chibok girls has again been distorted and sensationalised ostensibly to pitch public opinion against the Armed Forces.
“The import of the meeting between DHQ and the group was misrepresented apparently to project the Nigerian military in bad light and further heat-up the polity.
“It must be noted that the military by training is not given to complaining, buck-passing or resignation to defeat as alleged in the report.
“While the Armed Forces will not want to join issues with the representatives of the “bring back the girls” group, it is important to reiterate that no attempt by any group or individual to drag the military into politics will succeed as the Armed Forces is focused on the task of rescuing the abducted girls.
“The DHQ wishes to reassure the Nigerian public that in spite of the antics of those who are bent on undermining the efforts of the Armed Forces, the counter-insurgency operation in the northeast and other internal security operation ongoing across the country will be effectively prosecuted.
“The Nigerian military has nothing against “the bring back the girls campaign” but endorses it as a vital component of the nation’s efforts to end terrorism.
“Nevertheless, it is requested that the civil society platform should not be used by individuals to undermine efforts at bringing back our girl from captivity. The military aspect of the campaign is on course and the Armed Forces is optimistic that the collaborative efforts will end the unfortunate crisis”, the DHQ said.
