The Defence Headquarters on Monday stated that claims that the French military is planning to establish a base in Nigeria is false.
The clarification is coming following the claim made by human rights activist, Mahdi Shehu, who said in a post on X that French military officers had arrived in Borno State as part of the process to set up a military base.
Dismissing Shehu’s claims in a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the Defense Headquarters described the report as fake and mischievous.
Maj. Gen. urged the public to disregard the claims and speculations that are circulating on social media platforms, asserting that the reports are the antics of mischief-makers
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“The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri towards establishing a French military base in North-East Nigeria.
“The armed forces of Nigeria hereby state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally false, and mischievous.
“It would be recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, recently addressed this matter in various media forums, where he debunked such news and speculations.
“Nevertheless, the military will continue to carry out its constitutional responsibilities most professionally and ensure the territorial integrity of our nation,” the statement added.
