From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has again denied rumours making the rounds over the alleged plans by the French military to establish a base in Nigeria
Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, in a statement, described the news as fake and mischievous.
He and urged the public to disregard the claims which he attributed to the antics of mischief makers.
He pleadged that the military would continue to carry out its constitutional responsibilities most professionally and ensure the territorial integrity of our nation.
The clarification from the DHQ is coming after a rights activist, Mahdi Shehu, criticised the Federal Government in a social post for denying the development.
In a video-accompanied post, on Saturday, Shehu claimed that some French military officers had arrived in Borno State as part of the process to set up the base.
The post partly read, “Last week, the Chief of Defence Staff denied any plan to establish French military bases in Nigeria.
“Yesterday, the Chief of Army Staff received the first contingent of French soldiers and immediately deployed them to Maiduguri to ‘HELP NIGERIA IN FIGHTING BOKO HARAM.’ The same Boko Haram they claimed to have decimated and are scampering for safety.
“Before the blinking of an eye, a France military base will be physically seen in Maiduguri, perhaps before the new year, so that they will ‘Fight Boko Haram and begin to explore and prospect huge mineral resources and surely begin to exploit, harass, intimidate, kill, incapacitate, and annihilate the local people, which is typical of France’s presence in Africa.”
But in a swift reation, Buba, said: “The attention of the Defence headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri towards establishing a French military base in North-East Nigeria.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria,hereby, state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally false, and mischievous. It would be recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, recently addressed this matter in various media forums, where he debunked such news and speculations.
“Accordingly, the general public is urged to disregard these claims and speculations that are still circulating in some quarters. It is clear that these are the antics of mischief makers.
“Nevertheless, the military will continue to carry out its constitutional responsibilities most professionally and ensure the territorial integrity of our nation.