The Nigerian army has clarified its statement in which it accused some elders in Borno State of going to the extent of hiring marabouts to truncate the military successes against the terrorist Boko Haram members.
Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the military spokesman said the statement was not putting members of the Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought on the suspicion radar, but rather it was directed at a’specific group of people whose activities are inimical to Nigeria’s quest for peace’.
Here is Usman’s statement issued today:
“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to observations and concerns by well meaning Nigerians especially the Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought (BELT) about the misinterpretations of the warning. Therefore, it becomes necessary to clarify to the effect that the statement released yesterday does not refer to the leaders of BELT or majority of the good people and law abiding prominent citizens of Borno State. I neither mention any organization’s or individual’s name. However, the warning was to inform a specific group of people whose activities are inimical to our collective quest for peace as enumerated in the release.
“At this point, it is important to observe that what is required at this crucial period is for everyone to rally round the Federal Government to bring to a speedy end the wanton destruction of lives and properties by the Boko Haram insurgency.
“We believe that the Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought cannot hold any clandestine meetings and therefore as a responsible organisation the Nigerian Army holds them in high esteem.
“We however wish to reiterate unequivocally that the Nigerian Army has credible information that certain individuals and groups are losing out of the successes being achieved and therefore want to discredit the renewed fight against Boko Haram. We would not tolerate nor allow them to actualize their nefarious intents.”