The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports suggesting that insurgents were planning to overrun communities in Borno State, describing the claims as false propaganda.
Troops under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) maintained that they retain firm operational control over Ngoshe and Gwoza areas, effectively countering any threat posed by terrorist elements. This was disclosed in a statement issued by Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations.
According to the Army, insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, recently circulated claims of plans to invade Ngoshe and even conduct Sallah prayers at the Central Mosque—an assertion the military described as a desperate attempt to create panic and project a false sense of strength.
The statement noted that troops acted swiftly on credible intelligence by reinforcing the affected areas following an attempted incursion on March 4. It added that intensified clearance operations, supported by aerial surveillance and cooperation from local residents, successfully disrupted terrorist movements.
As a result, several insurgents were neutralised, further weakening what the Army described as an already degraded operational capacity of the groups.
The military emphasized that Ngoshe and the adjoining Gwoza axis remained calm and secure throughout the Eid-el-Fitr period, with residents freely carrying out prayers and celebrations without disruption.
It concluded that the peaceful observance of the festivities across the affected communities clearly exposed the baselessness of the insurgents’ claims and reaffirmed the Army’s control over the region.
