The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent wave of violence and abductions in parts of Oyo State to fleeing members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorist group who were forced out of their former strongholds by ongoing military offensives across the country.
The military authorities made the clarification on Thursday while responding to reports it described as false and misleading regarding comments allegedly made by the Defence Headquarters on the status of terrorists and criminal elements operating in the South-West.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the DHQ maintained that the attackers responsible for the abduction in Oyo State were not ordinary criminals but members of a recognised terrorist network displaced by sustained pressure from security forces.
“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” the statement read.
The military high command dismissed interpretations suggesting it had downplayed the activities of armed groups in the South-West by categorising them merely as criminals.
“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated.
According to the DHQ, previous comments made on security developments in the region were intended to provide clarity based on intelligence assessments and prevent misinformation capable of creating unnecessary fear among residents.
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The statement further stressed that the Armed Forces remained fully committed to defending Nigeria’s democratic institutions and supporting constituted authorities across the country.
“At no time did the Defence Headquarters undermine the authority of any democratically elected leader or seek to diminish the gravity of the heinous crime committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements,” the statement added.
The military also revealed that troops, working alongside other security agencies and local stakeholders, were still carrying out operations in affected communities with the aim of tracking down and dismantling terrorist and criminal cells threatening public safety.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” the statement said.
The clarification followed outrage over the deadly attack on communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where heavily armed terrorists invaded Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, abducting students, teachers, and residents.
Several people reportedly lost their lives during the attack, while one of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later confirmed dead after a video linked to the incident surfaced online.
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