The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said that one Solomon Okafor of Radio Biafra London, had been peddling a malicious disinformation and falsehood on social media , alleging complicity by troops in a fictitious case of kidnapping of a family of 10 in Kaduna State.
He said the said Okafor also alleged that about 87 per cent of Nigerian soldiers were kidnappers and bandits.
Nwachukwu said the said report was a creation of IPOB/ESN social media foot soldiers, with intent to malign the Nigerian army.
According to him, the operation was widely publicised in both the new and traditional media before handing over the suspects to the Nigeria Police.
“It is also crucial to emphasise that following troops’ successful exploits in unravelling and unmasking IPOB elements who have been masquerading as unknown gunmen and wreaking carnage against Ndigbo in South East Nigeria, IPOB/ ESN have severally attempted to use doctored graphic images, video footages and spurious narratives in online and social media campaigns to disparage the Nigerian army and bring her to disrepute.
“Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard this mindless and irresponsible propaganda clearly emanating from IPOB, aimed at promoting insecurity in the country,” he said. NAN