The Defense Headquarters has dismissed the reports of fresh mass abductions of 100 male residents of Borno State by the extremist Boko Haram sect at the weekend. A few online media had reported a fresh abduction of some 100 men in Borno village of Doron Baga in the wee hour of Friday by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
Defense Information Director, Major General Chris Olukolade, stated in a statement that the report of last Friday fresh abduction of 100 young men was baseless, mischievous and dangerously concocted just to embarrass the Military.
Doron Baga, is a fishing community near Lake Chad, in the Chad basin. “The news stories were largely untrue, extensively and maliciously cooked up just to further embarrass the Nigerian Military.”
News of the latest kidnappings originated mainly from major international news wires- Reuters, Associated Press, Sahara reporters and Bloomberg.
The four news organizations all based in the United States quoted unnamed security officials, residents and local vigilante groups in Doron Baga, the scene of a deadly clash between the Nigerian military and members of the Boko Haram sect.
Reuters said “dozens” of boys and men were driven away in trucks on the night of Friday after their captors had overpowered local vigilantes who had no military support.
The Associated Press said exactly 100 people were abducted but later freed by the Chadian forces, quoting a Nigerian security official and a local self-vigilante member.
The AP said the attacks occurred Saturday morning, January 3rd , five days earlier than Reuters reported same story.
A member of the local vigilante in Doron Baga was quoted as saying that 20 women and about 100 young men were forced to board a Toyota Hilux vehicle and later off-loaded into speed boats in Lake Chad area.
Bloomberg, also reported that 100 people were kidnapped from the same community; but said the event happened on Thursday, a day earlier.
The four news stories, syndicated by hundreds of news organizations around the world, apparently reported what appears the same attack on the same community of Doro Baga. “All of them quoted local vigilante members, residents and unnamed security officials. But I can confirm to you that the reports were not true in its entirety.”
