Police denies reports that over 100 officers deployed to fight Boko Haram have absconded

The Nigeria police has denied reports that over hundred of its men deployed to the North-East region of the country to complement the counter-insurgency effort of the military against Boko Haram have absconded.

Reports emerged that as many as between 167 and 190 personnel may have deserted their duty posts when it became clear that would be involved in direct combat with the insurgents.

But in its reaction, police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood circulated a statement dismissing the story as untrue.

Moshood said the police leadership could “categorically state that the story is untrue, absolute falsehood and a deliberate attempt to cast aspersions on the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force in the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.”

He emphasised that the police were unable to substantiate any elements of the story following an investigation conducted shortly after it was published, and there was no basis whatsoever for police officers to abscond from postings.

Read also: Afraid to face Boko Haram, Police trainees abscond from deployment

“The insinuation in some quarters and as reported in the story that 167 out the 2,000 additional police officers recently deployed by the IGP absconded is not correct and should be disregarded by members of the public.

“These 2,000 police personnel are to complement the efforts of the military to add new impetus to the fight against the decimated Boko Haram insurgency.

“This story was investigated and it was found out not to be correct, there is no reason whatsoever that Police personnel deployed for the operations in the North-East would abscond.

“These 2, 000 police officers recently deployed are in addition to several thousands of police personnel already engaged in the fight against insurgency with the military in the North-East,” Mr Moshood said.

He dismissed the list of 167 names published with the story as “fake”, adding that the officers whose names appeared on the list are actually “on the ground in the North-east.”

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