From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The army, yesterday, dismissed a report which claimed Boko Haram distributed Ramadan package to some residents in Borno and Yobe states to entice locals to join the terrorists rank.
Army spokesman, Brig Gen Mohammed Yerima in a statement, yesterday, said investigation on the claim by the army intelligence established that the report was not true.
“The army being a professional organisation decided to look at the article with every seriousness with a view to making intelligence out of it. However, our analysis established that there was nothing substantial about the claim,” he said.
He said the locations of the alleged Ramadan package distributions were not mentioned in the report, one of the reason the army believes the claim was a propaganda intended to cloud troops gains in the counter-insurgency operations.
“It was meant to distract the populace away from the recent defeats being suffered by the terrorists.”
He insisted there was no community or village in Borno and Yobe where distribution of food and cash by Boko Haram took place.
“A closer look at the background of all the pictures clearly showed an empty forest with no signs of human habitation or activity except the few terrorists and some children that must have forcefully taken away from their parents.”