Zakaa Lazarus, Abuja.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted claims of a video footage making rounds on social media depicting soldiers allegedly mistreating women under the caption: “Operation Rainbow in Plateau State”.
The Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, in a statement on Saturday, described the video as misleading.
Gusau said, ” the video in question originated from a 2021 incident in Sambisa Forest, involving spouses of Boko Haram members during the capture of their strong holds.
He said the video never emanated from Plateau, and “not in Plateau as being claimed”.
“DHQ wishes to clarify that the soldiers involved in the aforementioned incident were then promptly sanctioned and dealt with by the military authority at the time it occurred for their unprofessional conduct.
“The dissemination of this old video, with a misleading location tag, is causing unnecessary alarm and has the potential to exacerbate the security situation on the Plateau.
“We urge the individual responsible for recirculating this video to cease and desist from further dissemination, as their actions are only serving to add fuel to the security challenges currently being addressed by Operation Safe Haven,” he said.
Gusau said the armed forces were actively engaged in aggressive operations and dedicated to bring the perpetrators of recent dastardly acts to justice.
He added that the DHQ remains committed to fostering peace and stability in Plateau, and call on stakeholders and members of the public to support the efforts by refraining from spreading misinformation that could undermine the collective goal of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the resident.
