The Defence Headquarters has said that the recent abduction incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country due to intensified military operations.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the military described reports suggesting that the Defence Headquarters referred to terrorists in the South-West as ordinary criminals as misleading and false.
According to the statement, the attackers responsible for the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorist group who had fled their former strongholds following sustained military offensives across the country.
The DHQ explained that its earlier comments on the security situation in the South-West were aimed at providing intelligence-based clarification and preventing misinformation and panic among residents.
The military stressed that it never downplayed the severity of the attack or undermined the authority of any democratically elected leader.
It also reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to protecting democratic institutions and tackling criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace and stability of the country.
According to the statement, troops remain actively deployed in affected communities in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist and criminal groups operating in the area.
The clarification follows the recent attack in communities within Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed terrorists abducted pupils, teachers and residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.
The attack reportedly claimed several lives, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later confirmed dead after a video linked to the incident surfaced online.
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