The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied reports that the French military was planning to establish a base in Nigeria.
In a statement on Monday in Abuja by its Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the DHQ said the clarification was necessitated by the reports making the rounds that French soldiers had arrived in the country.
“The attention of Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri (Borno State) towards establishing a French Military base in Northeast Nigeria.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria hereby state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally false and mischievous. It would be recalled that Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, recently addressed this matter in different media fora in which he debunked the news and such speculations.”
The statement urged the general public to disregard the news and any such speculations on the matter.
“It is clear that these are the antics of mischief makers,” it added.
The DHQ added that the military would continue to carry out its constitutional responsibilities professionally and ensure the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
Also, the DHQ has said it is set to harmonise court martial procedures across the services in line with the nation’s justice system.
The Chief Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, announced this at the opening of the conference on Rules of Procedure, Substance Abuse and Sexual Orientation in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.