TheCable

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that 480 Nigerian soldiers who fled to Cameroon on Monday did so in “tactical maneuver” and not because they were fleeing from Boko Haram. 

“The Nigerian troops that were found in Cameroun was as a result of a sustained battle between the troops and the terrorists around the borders with Cameroun which saw the Nigerian troops charging through the borders in a tactical maneuver,” read a statement on its website.

“Eventually, they found themselves on Camerounian soil. Being allies, the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission.

“Following necessary discussions between Nigerian and Camerounian military authorities, the issues have been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria.

“The reference to the incident as a defection is therefore not appropriate considering the discussion between the two countries’ military leadership and the series of contacts with the soldiers who have confirmed that they are safe.”

It added that troops were repelling a group of terrorists trying to enter the country through Gamborou Ngala, saying “a group of them who fizzled into the town are being pursued”.

The Nigerian military has always maintained that it is defeating Boko Haram, but steady rise of the terror group has caused many Nigerians to doubt the claims of the military.