The Nigerian military has dismissed recent viral claims alleging heavy casualties among troops in the North-East, describing the reports as false and intended to mislead the public.
In a statement issued by the Joint Task Force under Operation Hadin Kai, the Armed Forces said online posts suggesting that dozens of soldiers were recently killed by insurgents are based on outdated materials being recirculated.
The task force’s spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, explained that internal reviews traced the widely shared images and reports to incidents that occurred several years ago. He said the content is being reshared to create panic and undermine ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the region.
According to him, there has been no recent incident resulting in the mass casualties being claimed online. He added that troops remain actively engaged in coordinated air and ground offensives across the theatre of operations.
Military authorities maintained that recent operations have instead recorded gains, including the disruption of insurgent movements and the recovery of weapons and logistics equipment in several communities across Borno State and surrounding areas.
The statement noted that sustained offensives have weakened militant strongholds and limited their capacity to regroup, while intelligence-led missions continue to target supply routes and operational bases.
The military urged members of the public and media organisations to rely on verified information from official sources and avoid amplifying unconfirmed reports that could aid extremist propaganda.
Operation Hadin Kai reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing security operations in the North-East, stating that efforts to restore stability and protect civilians will continue.
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