The Nigerian military has described the alleged assault on women by soldiers in Plateau State, as fake and misleading.
The Military Headquarters in a statement said the clarification has becoming necessary following video circulating on social media alleging women in Plateau State were being maltreated by soldiers attached to Operation Rainbow in the state.
The allegation is coming after terrorists invaded some communities in the state, killing over 100 persons on Christmas Eve.
Spokesman for the military Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, in a statement said the video in circulation was an incident that took place in Borno State in 2021, and not plateau state as it is being alleged by those circulating the video.
Gen. Gusau, in the statement reads; “The attention of DHQ has been drawn to a misleading video circulating on social media depicting soldiers allegedly mistreating women under the caption “Operation Rainbow in Plateau State”. It has come to our attention that the video in question actually originated from an incident that took place in Sambisa forest in 2021, involving the spouses of Boko Haram members during the capture of strong holds of the Boko Haram insurgents and not in Plateau State as falsely 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. Our forces are actively engaged in aggressive operations and are dedicated to bringing the perpetrators of recent dastardly acts to justice.
DHQ remains committed to fostering peace and stability in Plateau State and we call on all stakeholders and members of the public to support our efforts by refraining from spreading misinformation that could undermine our collective goal of ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents.
