The Chief of Defence Staff, General Andrew Azazi, has debunked the recent mention of Nigerian soldiers in the attack that claimed the lives of 21 Camerounian soldiers in the Bakassi Peninsula, describing it as untrue and a mere speculation.
Azazi stated this while answering questions from journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday during a visit he paid on the Joint Task Force (Operation Flush-Out 3) in the Rivers Capital city. He maintained that Nigerian troops had long been voluntarily withdrawn from Bakassi Peninsula.
The army chief came to Port Harcourt to see how the JTF was faring.
While on the visit, Azazi visited the Marine Base Sub-sector headquarters of Sector 1 of the JTF Command. He also visited Nembe Waterside, Abonnema Wharf and the militant camp, where one of the cult kingpins in the state, Soboma George, was residing before the advent of the JTF.
He said the Camerounian army had not insinuated that their Nigerian counterparts were involved in the attack as it was reported in the media.
In his words: “We voluntarily withdrew from Cameroun and no troops have been deployed to that area. So if troops were not deployed to the area, how could Nigerian soldiers have been involved? Camerounians are not insinuating that Nigerian soldiers attacked them, so if Camerounians are not insinuating, then how could they attack Nigeria?”
According to him, “there is a high level of criminality along our creeks. There is a high level of criminality along our roads all over Nigeria, let�s put that in perspective. Nigerian soldiers cannot be involved in such things.”
While briefing the defence chief before embarking on the inspection of the sectors of the task force, commander of the JTF, who is also the Brigade Commander of the 2 Amphibious Brigade in Port Harcourt, Brigadier Sarkin-Yaki Bello, had itemised lack of equipment and proper medical arrangement for his soldiers as the problems facing the JTF.
And in his reaction to that,General Azazi said the task force would manage the resources at its disposal to handle the obligation placed on it.
It will be impossible for Cameroun to launch a reprisal against Nigeria as a result of the recent killing of 20 Camerounian soldiers in the Bakassi peninsula, General Azazi has said. He, in allaying fears of possible attacks from Cameroun over the issue, emphasised thaat Cameroun did not at any time accuse Nigeria as being responsible for the killings.