BEVERLY HILLS, August 04, (THEWILL) – The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has rejected the United States counter-terrorism report on Nigeria for 2016, stating that the analyses made in the report are detrimental to Nigeria’s national security and is aimed at setting Nigerians against the military.
The report entitled: ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2016- Nigeria’ alleged among other things that: “The Nigerian military was unable to hold and rebuild civilian structures and institutions in those areas it had cleared”.
It faulted the Nigerian military’s approach in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East and accused the Nigerian government of not investing significant resources or time enlisting regional organizations, such as the Economic Organization of West African States and Economic Community of Central African States, to assist in the war.
The report continued, “Instead, the Government of Nigeria preferred to engage BH militants in direct, unilateral military action and through the MNJTF, which is headed by a Nigerian military officer.
“Nigeria sought greater cooperation and coordination with neighboring countries to counter the effects of BH, yet has resisted taking control of the regional response”.
Rejecting this claim in a statement issued on Thursday, the Defence spokesman, Maj-Gen John Enenche said the the public is being swayed using such misinformed analyses.
“It has been observed by the Defence Headquarters that Nigerians and the general public are being misinformed on the ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2016’ released by the United States of America (USA) Department of State,” he said.
The Director of Defence Information dismissed the report as “not being objectively analysed by the misinformers because of their ulterior motive.”
He said that it was not the responsibility of the military to hold ground after clearance operation but other paramilitary agencies like the police and Civil Defence.
On failure of Nigerian military to rebuild civilian structures and institutions, again, he said it was not the reponsibility of the military to rebuild damaged structurex but government “of which a lot is being done.”
Enenche added that the analyses that have greeted the report have continued to diminsh the nation’s counter-insurgency efforts, and called on Nigerians to disregard the report as ‘wicked’.
