The #BringBackOurGirls coalition has asked the Nigerian military to provide verifiable evidence of its claimed victories over Boko Haram insurgents.
The group said accurate reporting in times of war is a critical tool for winning battles.
According to the BBOG, the military needed to provide photos, videos and other evidences to convince people that it was truly making progress in the war against Boko Haram insurgents.
The BBOG, which said the federal government and the military should know that they had credibility deficit due to misinformation in the past, disclosed this in a statement it released to mark the second week of its ‘sixweekscountdown’ to the war against terrorism and rescue of the Chibok schoolgirls, on Sunday in Abuja.
The group also condemned what it termed the conflicting signals on the fight against Boko Haram insurgents, adding that some aides of the president were disregarding President Jonathan’s assurances that normalcy could be restored to the area within six weeks.
The statement read by Tunji Olanrewaju on behalf of the BBOG Coordinator, Oby Ezekwesili said: “All reportage of the Nigerian military’s triumphs currently quotes a single source— the defence spokesman, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade. The news reports refer to the Spokesperson’s press releases and not on the strength of any independently verified information or direct media investigation.
“We, therefore, demand that the Defense Headquarters takes immediate steps to provide, alongside its releases, as much on the ground evidence of its battlefront actions and successes; that is, verifiable images and audiovisuals from the battle grounds.
“For instance, the Chadian military’s liberation of Dikwa in Borno left no one in doubt with abundant visuals of their victory reported independently. Not quoting a Chadian military spokesperson. This stirred up a victorious spirit and stronger confidence in the operations.
“Our government and the military must come to terms and appreciate that presently, they have an integrity/credibility deficit, due to the litany of misinformation, disinformation, inconsistencies and outright falsehoods in the past. Accurate reporting in times of war is a critical tool for winning battles.”
The group further said it gathered from military sources that the current offensives were supposed to keep Boko Haram at bay, because the Multi-National Joint Taskforce was yet to deploy troops, and questioned the wisdom behind the six weeks timeline for the offensive against the insurgents.
“Given the history of failed promises and dashed hopes for Nigerians, especially the Chibok parents, we wish to advise our Presidency to do the utmost to avoid a repeat of the unsavoury past,” the BBOG said.
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