Army denies bandits overrunning troops in Kwara, dismisses online report as fabrication

Army denies bandits overrunning troops in Kwara, dismisses online report as fabrication

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Nigerian Army has officially rejected recent online claims that bandits overran military troops in Obanla, Kwara State, and stole six General Purpose Machine Guns along with over 30,000 rounds of ammunition.

In an emphatic statement on Sunday by the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations 2 Division Nigerian, Lieutenant Colonel Polycarp Okoye, the Army clarified that the reports are “false and misleading,” asserting that troops of 148 Battalion have achieved “significant operational successes” in ongoing clearance operations across Kogi and Kwara States.

The Army highlighted a recent encounter where soldiers “mounted a strong blocking position along the Kwara–Ekiti border axis,” successfully neutralising two armed bandits and recovering two brand new AK-47 rifles.

The statement further emphasised that “at no time were Army positions overrun, nor was any cache of weapons or ammunition lost to criminal elements, as mischievously reported.”

The Army described the publication as “a fabrication designed to mislead the public and undermine the morale of gallant troops.”

However, Nigerian Army in the statement urged the public to disregard the false report and to “continue to support the military with timely and credible information that would aid ongoing operations.”

The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its determination to dismantle all criminal networks in Kogi, Kwara, and neighbouring states, stressing its “readiness to sustain the tempo of operations until all criminal networks are dismantled.”