Borno State government yesterday countered a report by Daily Trust, which quoted security expert, Kabiru Adamu who said 252 people were killed in August alone.
Recall that Nigeria security report by Abuja-based security outfit, beacon Intel headed by Dr Kabiru Adamu, said over 252 were killed in the state in August.
Even though the government said it will never join issues with any newspaper or journalists, it has doubts over the stated figures.
This was contained in a text sent to Daily Trust by the management of the state Ministry of Information and security, titled: “Rejoinder on Daily Trust Report on Alleged Increase in Boko Haram Terrorists Attacks in Borno State” on Tuesday.
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The rejoinder read: “The attention of the Borno State government has been drawn to a report titled ‘Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Borno’ published by the Daily Trust on 16 October 2023.
“While it is not in the character of the Borno State government to join issues with individual media houses or individual journalists, it has become imperative to respond to the claims contained in that report due to its implications on public perception of internal security and general well-being of our people.
“The Report claims, based on evidence obtained from an NGO named Beacon Intel that Boko Haram attacks are on the increase in Borno State and advanced some data that are contestable. While Boko Haram appears to be engaged in isolated desperate attacks, the scary figures contained in the Daily Trust Report is far from the truth. Actually, the facts of the matter are haphazardly captured in the said report.
“The Borno State government is monitoring the security situation on a daily basis, and flashpoints are noted for speedy intervention. The government is also in possession of the authentic facts on the ground.
“The Borno State Security Council sat on 11 October 2023 and received reports from military and security units and formations operating in Borno State. The Council also considered on-the-ground situation reports (SITREPS) received from units and formations, as well as operatives deployed on human and terrain intelligence missions in all the LGAs of the state.”
According to the ministry, the State Security Council noted that the restoration of peace and security in Borno State has achieved significant momentum, and terror attacks are under check.
The Borno State government, while expressing its commitment to freedom of speech, urged media houses to confirm facts with the State Ministry of Information and Internal Security, before publication.
“On this note, the Borno State governments kindly request the Daily Trust to make available its sources of data and datasets to enable it to compare notes with the data available to the government. The people of Borno and Nigerians deserve fact-based news and reports at all times,” it added.
