Nigerian Army Accuses Sahara Reporters Of Being Boko Haram's Media Arm

The Nigerian Army in a statement released on its website yesterday
December 27th accused online media hub, Sahara Reporters of being the
propaganda media for terrorism & Boko Haram in Nigeria. Find the
military statement below...

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication on
the website of Sahara Reporters with the caption "Nigerian Army
Presents Unverified "Lt Col" To Refute Petition Against Military
Hierarchy". It is noteworthy but sad and unfortunate that Sahara
Reporters has committed itself to support for terrorism and fighting
Nigeria, its people, its military and particularly the Nigerian Army."

Before Sahara Reporters published their purported document described
as petition from Lt Col Wende, a serving Commanding Officer, the
Nigerian Army conducted a thorough investigation on the document
involving other security and intelligence agencies. The process
confirmed that the serving officer was not the author of the petition.
Yesterday, the officer dissociated himself from the so-called petition
in a press conference he personally attended. While reputable media
organizations were on hand to engage the officer, Sahara Reporters
being a faceless medium, preferred to remain faceless and was not
represented. Sahara Reporters sadly, but predictably, and in
fulfilment of its support for terrorism published in its website a
fabrication in which it referred to the officer as "unverified". How
absurd!

Sahara Reporters has strived hard to present itself as a propaganda
medium for terrorism and Boko Haram in particular. It is with this in
mind, that the Nigerian Army conducted a press conference in Maiduguri
in which the officer who appeared for the press conference is Lt Col
Wende, a serving officer of the Nigerian Army. Since the officer has
clearly dissociated himself from the document, it makes sense that the
so-called petition is the handiwork of Sahara Reporters. With time,
terrorism in Nigeria and Sahara Reporters will be defeated by the
collective will of the good people of Nigeria.

OLAJIDE LALEYE
Brigadier General
Director, Army Public Relations