The Nigerian Police Force has denied that 167 police officers deployed
to Northeast to help in the fight against Boko Haram absconded.
There have been reports that 157 absconded from deployment to Northeast to fight Boko Haram.
A
statement issued by Acting Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh
Moshood said all 2,000 policemen deployed by the Force to the Northeast
had reported and were on ground on combat operation in the Northeast
fighting along with the Military in the front line against Boko Haram
insurgency.
“The 2,000 police personnel deployed are in high
morale and high spirit in the operation. No Police personnel absconded
as alleged in the report,” he said.
According to Moshood, “the
Force wishes to categorically state that the story is untrue, absolute
falsehood and a deliberate attempt to cast aspersions on the efforts of
the Nigeria Police Force in the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram
insurgency.
“The insinuation in some quarters and as reported in
the story that 167 out the 2000 additional Police Officers recently
deployed by the IGP absconded is not correct and should be disregarded
by members of the public. These 2000 Police personnel are to complement
the efforts of the Military to add new impetus to the fight against the
decimated Boko Haram insurgency.
“This story was investigated and
it was found out not to be correct, there is no reason whatsoever that
Police personnel deployed for the operations in the North East would
abscond. The Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel have been engaged
actively in the front line along with the Military in the fight against
Boko Haram terrorist group since the inception of the insurgency,” he
said.
Moshood stated that these 2,000 police officers recently
deployed were in addition to several thousands of police personnel
already engaged in the fight against insurgency with the Military in the
Northeast, adding that the list of 167 names attached to the story was
fake as the officers mentioned were on ground in the Northeast.
“The
2000 police personnel deployed are in high morale and high spirit in
the operation, the Force sees the story as a deliberate attempt to
promote insurgency and dapple the morale of Officers and Men of the
Police and other services who on daily basis lay down their lives to
protect our dear Nation, Nigeria and ensure security of all citizenry.
“Members of the public are hereby implored to disregard the story in its entirety as a pure misinformation and hearsay.
“It
is evidently clear that the writer of the story has never visited the
venue of training or witness the deployment of the Police personnel in
the operation but rely ignorantly on hearsay from misguided individuals
who are being used to work against national interest and security,’ he
added.
Moshood said the Nigeria Police Force would continue to
hold the media in a very high regard as a veritable partner in ensuring
adequate security and success of the fight against insurgency, but
noted, however, that the media were implored not allow their esteemed
publication be used to publish falsehood capable of misinforming and
misleading the public.
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