Boko Haram: Generals ‘are deceiving Jonathan’
A senior military officer has claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan is being deceived by the high command on the true state of the anti-terror war in north-eastern Nigeria.
The officer, who cannot be named because of possible victimisation, said the day the president gets to know the true facts on ground, the country will begin to win the war against the Boko Haram insurgents.
For instance, he said contrary to last week’s claims by the defence headquarters that five soldiers were killed while repelling a Boko Haram attack in Damboa, Borno State, “we lost far more than that number to the militants”.
He warned that grossly downplaying casualty figures and feeding the president with a “sexed-up” picture of military victories “can only give us false hope when we direly need to re-strategise to crush the insurgency”.
On Saturday, the military issued a statement saying its men killed “more than 50” terrorists while repelling a “daring attack” on military formations, and that five soldiers and a senior officer were killed by the insurgents. It did not give figures of the wounded.
But according to the officer who spoke with TheCable on Monday, all these claims were devised by the military high command to paint a false impression of a terrorism war that the military “is nowhere near winning as evident in the ease and frequency with which the terrorists launch attacks on soldiers and civilians”.
“If all these announcements from Abuja are true, we wouldn’t be losing men on this scale so often,” he said.
He warned that for the military to defeat Boko Haram, the first step is for the presidency and the public to be made to understand the truth about casualties on both sides, so that the right measures can be taken to bolster the capabilities of the military.
“How many terrorists did they tell you that they killed in Damboa? You see, as I speak right now, the soldiers are scattered in the bush. The insurgents dislodged their brigade because Lt-Colonel Abubakar Shumba, who was their commander, got killed.
“The soldiers who were killed belonged to Unit 195, and those who escaped have not even gone back because many soldiers were lost. Those who said five soldiers died are not telling the truth. They just want to deceive the public. They don’t want people to know the facts.
“It is hard to say the exact number of people that died because the soldiers have not gone back to the location. As we speak, there are still a number of corpses there. Since that attack, they have not gone back. But if we calculate the number of those that died, I’m sure it’s close to 40.”
He further revealed that the soldiers are now in dire need of motivation because they are still smarting from the loss of their colleagues.
“Just now, they took about eight dead bodies to Mamalade, 7b headquarters. The remaining ones are still in the bush. The soldiers have not even gone back to the location. But they have a new commander. His name is Colonel Oserere,” he said.
Director of defence information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, denied that the military gave false figures on the gun battle.
“Naturally, we should be bothered about what happens to our troops and we are. We are really concerned. Let it not be said that we are giving you different figures,” Olukolade told TheCable.
“The figure we gave you is what we have and if people gave you different figures because they want to rejoice, because they are happy to hear that Nigerian soldiers have been killed, whatever they are… But I have given you the official figures that I have about that incident. As for the wounded, I don’t have the actual figure for the wounded.”
Dear General Olukolade, if you do not have the “actual figures” of the wounded, how come you got the actual figures of the dead which was summed up to 5? Those who gave you the dead did not give you the wounded right? And you’re meant to be the information custodian ans manager for the Army? And you didn’t ask questions to be sure? I’m sorry sir but this stands logic on its head!
Dear Gen Olukolade. Last time I checked, you were and still are the Chief Information Manager and Custodian for the Defence. Yet you don’t know “the actual figure” of the wounded? Those who gave you the number of the dead did not tell you the “figure of the wounded”? And you dint diligently find out? Common General, you’re standing logic right on its head! I understand the principle of integrity and fiduciary in public engagement but when it comes to informing the President, HALFING the truth is incongrous with integrity!
Between the dead and the wounded, which ones will be easier to recognise? And which ones should be given more attention to? Someone who has died already or someone who is struggling to live? It’s time the hierachy of the military realise that the nigeria’s audience in 2014 are different from the audience in 1960s or 70s. You can tell us what ever you want us to believe in order to suit your agenda, but we know it’s not true and we won’t believe. Nothing ever built on falsehood and deceit has ever existed, it only lasts for a small time.
Down playing casualty may not be too good for this kind of war but the soldier ranting seems to be a BH member/sabotage/informant. May God help our men and women in uniform who are fighting this war with a sincere heart. May the soul of the faithful departed R.I.P.
How dare you say the soldier was ranting? Did he try to hide or say anything different from what every right thinking Nigerian has been saying all along? It is not just about the accuracy of casualty figures of the dead and wounded, it is about the integrity of the Nigerian soldier. Our soldiers have won battles prior to this time in missions abroad. How come they’re unable to make a dent at Boko Haram, who can sack an army barracks with ease. Don’t you think something is really wrong with strategies being used to execute the war? I think, the military high command should rethink their strategies because it is inconceivable that our country is so intimidated and people are slaughtered at every turn. When anybody calls for a new strategy, he is branded a Boko Haram sympathizer. Let is love this country and tell ourselves the truth as it is the only the truth that will set us free.
It is high time we put an end to deceit in this country. We have lived receipt in all our ways of lives since the fall of the first republic and uphill now. Deceipt is the foundation of Boko Haram and we still continue to fuel it with the same.
The chief information custodian of the Nigeria army does not know (or care to know) how many of his soldiers are wounded? not to talk of the classification as gravely wounded or otherwise. How do we even know the capabilities of the military hospitals to cope with the wounded. What standard or level of care is being given to these young men putting their lives on the line for all of us when our “Abuja people” send their cooks and stewards to India and the likes with the slightest headache.
We all need to wake up in this country. God bless Nigeria
The enemies of Nigeria are at it again, this is another plan to demoralize our military and set its people and government against them, it will not work, we know better. We will continue to support our troops, we have no other military.
The military has no reason to deceive the President on the casualty figures as falsely claimed by the writer of this fiction. Hack writers and embittered opposition elements who will rather celebrate the insurgency going on in the country should realise that if our military goes down on account of their ill-conceived false alarms, they will not have any hiding place and will certainly not have a secured space to ply their trade. Nigerians should at all times support their military and not by digging up non-existent story to paint them in dull colours.
It is unfortunate that some unscrupulous persons want to cash in on the current war on insurgence to pursue a wicked agenda against Nigeria. I guess this publication is a Boko haram propaganda machinery to deflate the morale and ego of our soldiers. It is aimed at galvanizing support for the Bokoharam against our military. Well done our troops we love u> We will never support blood sucking monsters called bokoharam. One Nigeria
Any body in the north east will tell you how vast the region is and how our soldiers toil day and night to keep us protected here. particularly those of us who are non indegenes. That so called senior officer and the author of this article are paid to castigate our soldiers. It is by the grace of these soldiers that people like me still remain in Borno.
I agree with you Baba, let them keep demoralizing our troops. One day BH will come after them, then they will know the importance of the military.
From what i have read. i have come to conclusion that this write up is from BOKO HARAM
I wonder why this officer cannot present himself. Perpetrators of evil only work in darkness. Prove your facts with evidence.We in the north east know the military are trying. they need our prayers more than ever before. God bless Nigeria
What is all these about again? Nigerian journalist, is there any credibility in this your story abi are you working for someone. If the officer cannot be courageous as a military officer to stand his ground and declare the truth openly, then he should shut his mouth. Please quit this unprofessional reportage.
Pls we need a change of attitude like this bitrus and co in this country??..When people like you sit at home and say everyone that is trying to bring attention to a real situation is member of BH i feel disgusted honestly why don’t we like to face truth in this country??
@Musa, Sunday, Ogedengbe and Amaka Ahmadu, I suspect all of you guys were paid to make ridiculous comments on this post. Why would the Soldier reveal his identity when we all know what will happen to him if he does! I spoke with a friend of mine in Borno and he corroborated the story. Trust me, we all pray that the Nigerian Army succeeds in the fight against the insurgents, but the truth remains that the officers at the top (Abuja) embezzle half of the fund meant for their juniors. I rest my case. May God protect the citizens of Borno and its environs. God bless Nigeria
Godbless Nigeria
The situation report about the ongoing offensives should be factual in the face of situation on ground. I don’t think underestimation of casualties on the part of the Army and bloating the causalities on Boko Haram’s side would take us anywhere. Considering the peculiarities surrounding the type of war against the insurgents, which is quite strange in military warfarism and offensives, the possibility of losing hugely on the part of the Nigerian Army is most likely until they really assimilate and fully decode the jungle warfare, which the Boko Haram is believed to have upper hand for now. The Gulf war is still fresh in the minds when the American Army hugely lost to the Iraqis ground troops because of the latter’s super understanding of the terrain.
I just believe and hope the Nigerian Army would be there sooner. They really need our encouragement and goodwill to fight these infidels to the ground. But the truth about the whole fighting episodes must be clearly told, if the Army feels Nigerians need to be told. And if anybody is eating money meant for the boys fighting in the jungle, it is like eating a curse! Goodluck.