A letter purportedly emanating from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, warning of impending Boko Haram attacks in some states, has been dismissed as a hoax by the Nigerian Army.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said yesterday that the letter did not come from the office of the COAS.
The letter dated August 5, 2016 signed by one Colonel S. Sulaiman for the COAS and designated ‘secret’, was typed on what appeared to be the letter headed paper of the Army Headquarters including its watermarked logo.
The letter with title “Plans By Boko Haram Terrorists Group To Attack Locations In FCT And Other Parts Of The Country”, said information at the disposal of the army headquarters strongly pointed to plans by the sect to attack various locations in different parts of the country.
SEE: The War Has Just Begun, We’ll Attack Abuja Soon – Shekau’s Boko Haram
“The targeted areas include but not limited to police stations, prisons facilities, schools and market places. Details shows that the terrorist group intends to target police stations/formations in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto States while prisons facilities and will be attacked in Adamawa”, it added.
The letter also said the terrorists deployed its foot soldiers to attack markets in Bauchi, Katsina and Imo States.
It warned that schools presently being re-opened in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States were also at risk in the light of wide ranging plot by the group to cause wide scale destruction.
The letter said in view of the intelligence report of imminent threat, all necessary proactive measures to prevent BHTs (Boko Haram terrorists) from carrying out these heinous acts should be taken.
It was copied to the 1 Division and 2 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna and Ibadan, respectively.
See copy of the letter below:
