The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports from certain online media outlets about an alleged attack on its troops and the killing of soldiers and civilians in Imo State.
In a statement issued in Enugu on Thursday, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, the Acting Deputy Director of the 82 Division Army Public Relations, called the reports “a fiction of the imagination” from sympathizers of a dissident group.
Unuakhalu stated, “The attention of the 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to the falsehood being peddled by some online media, claiming that an attack on troops deployed in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area led to the death of several soldiers and civilians.
This publication is a fabrication by the terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their sympathizers, aiming to undermine the confidence of the Imo people.”
He recalled that on October 3, 2023, the headquarters of Isiala Mbano LGA was set ablaze by IPOB/ESN elements, but confirmed that there were no attacks or casualties among troops or civilians. Unuakhalu mentioned that a similar attempt to attack the Ehime Mbano LGA Secretariat occurred on the evening of October 8, but the troops successfully thwarted the criminals’ efforts.
“The criminals, who came in numbers and fired shots from a distance, retreated due to the overwhelming firepower of our vigilant troops,” he noted. He added that during a follow-up operation, evidence of heavy casualties among the dissidents was found, indicated by blood stains on the Ehime Mbano-Oriagwu Road.
Unuakhalu urged the public to ignore the “misinformation” being circulated and reassured citizens that the troops are committed to protecting them and critical government infrastructure. He condemned the “anti-people cowardly behavior” of the dissidents, who destroy public buildings funded by taxpayers, emphasizing that such actions are not in the interest of the people.
He encouraged the community to provide security information to help combat criminal activities and shared a toll-free line, 193, where citizens can report useful information. “The good citizens of the South-East region are encouraged to go about their normal socio-economic activities without fear or intimidation,” Unuakhalu concluded.
