The Nigeria Police is lying against the Armed Forces of Nigeria in denying the rescue of 20 of its personnel during the attack by the Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on the Police Divisional location at Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area, Yobe State, Northeast Nigeria.
Indications are that the Police were hasty or were wrongly briefed by its Buni Yadi Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or were deliberately falsifying facts as the SITREP (Situation Report) from the ISWAP terrorists attack shows that the 20 Policemen were rescued by troops of 27 Task Force Brigade of HQ TC (NE) OPHK (Headquarters Theatre Command (North East) Operation Hadin Kai).
Last Thursday, Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko, had, while reviewing Armed Forces of Nigeria operations in the two weeks preceding December 9 that troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued the 20 Policemen abducted by the terrorists.
According to General Onyeuko, “Cumulatively, a total 62 terrorist elements were neutralized and 28 of them were arrested, while 54 assorted arms and 144 rounds of different calibre of ammunitions were recovered. Also, a total of 101 rustled livestock were recovered and 20 kidnapped NPF personnel, who were abducted when the terrorists attacked the Police Division, were rescued by own troops at Buni Yadi within the period.”
But on Friday, the Yobe State Police Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Dungus Abdulkarim, asked Nigerians to “disregard, ignore the said ‘Kidnap & Rescue Claim’ as false, mischievous and fake.”
The Yobe Police Command statement added: “The story or news item (on the alleged kidnapping of 20 police personnel in Buni-Yadi and their rescue by troops) is misleading, an utter fabrication and fake news, as no single police personnel was kidnapped from Buni-Yadi town on the day of the alleged incident, or at all. On Tuesday 30th November 2021, suspected members of Boko-Haram/ISWAP insurgents had attacked the Buni-Yadi Police Station in Gujba Local Govt. Area of the State and burnt down the structures, but there was neither any loss of life, nor was any Police personnel kidnapped, or declared missing.
“All the conventional personnel of the division, as well as the PMF personnel, had been accounted after the incident; the general public is therefore, by this press release from the Yobe State Police Command, enjoined to discountenance/disregard/ignore the said ‘Kidnap & Rescue Claim’ as false, mischievous and fake.
“It should be pointed out further that the said claim of ‘rescue of the 20 personnel’ had failed to disclose their identities; their ranks; the formations they belong to; or which medical facility they were taken to for check-ups; or who were they handed over to; or when and where were they handed over, etc. The absence of all these vital information in the publication means that the story is nothing but false, misleading and a misinformation.”
But the SITREP from HQ SECT 2 (Headquarters Sector 2) to HQ TC (NE) OPHK which was copied for the information of Office of the Chief of Army Staff, Army Headquarters Directorate of Army Operations (AHQ DAOPS) and the Headquarters of Sector 1 (7 Division) and Sector 3, indicated that 20 Police personnel were rescued after the Boko Haram/ISWAP invaded their location on October 21, 2021.
The SITREP confirmed that Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists attacked the Police Divisional location at Buni Yadi and that troops of 27 Task Force Brigade led by its Commander, Brigadier General PB Koughna reinforced the Police location.
Then, on sighting the troops, the terrorists withdrew in disarray. The troops pursued them but they fled into the Tumbuktu Triangle, abandoning some weapons.
The SITREP stated that while none of the defence and security agencies recorded any casualty, two Policemen were Wounded in Action (WIA).
It also noted that the Nigeria Police Force Divisional office and accommodation were burnt and that 20 Policemen were rescued and evacuated to 27 Task Force Brigade for medical attention.
The source wondered why the Police was refuting an obvious truth and triggering unnecessary institutional rivalry among the Defence and security agencies involved in the war against Boko/ISWAP terrorists.
