The Headquarters Theatre Command Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has firmly dismissed claims circulating on social media regarding the establishment of a French military base in Maiduguri, Borno State.
These allegations were propagated by social media activist Mahdi Shehu, who posted a video on his X (Twitter) account purportedly showing evidence of such a base.
In the video, Shehu claimed that the presence of a foreign military officer alongside Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna, the Acting General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army, was indicative of a French military presence.
However, the Nigerian Army has categorically denied these assertions.
In an official statement released on Monday, Captain Reuben Kovangiya, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, clarified the situation: "There is no French military base in Maiduguri or any plans to establish one in the North East."
The statement further explained that the foreign officer seen in the video is actually a member of the British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT), not a French representative.
The meeting depicted in the video was related to the donation of equipment to OPHK by BMATT on October 25, at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
The Army emphasized its longstanding partnership with BMATT, which has been crucial in providing training and equipment to combat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the region. "The Nigerian military maintains a long-standing partnership with BMATT," the statement noted, showing the collaborative efforts to enhance regional security.
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