Defence HQ says Nigerians should disregard fake reports

The Defence Headquarters has called on Nigerians to disregard reports that it is injecting people with Monkeypox.

The Director of Defence Information, Major General John Enenche also described the reports as false.

According to Daily Post, Enenche said that the medical outreaches are normal exercises that the military carries out to regularly.

He Defence HQ spokesman also said “In this regard, quick impact medical outreaches are usually conducted during deliberate operations such as the war against insurgency and terrorism in the North East and routine training exercise like Egwu Eke II in the South East among others” the statement read.

“Particularly, the Nigerian Army on several occasions as afore-stated carried out medical outreaches in virtually all the geo-political zones of Nigeria without any observation in the past.

“The same goes for the Nigerian Navy that does same during all its exercises in southern parts of the country. Similarly, Nigerian Air Force is equally in the limelight of medical outreaches including victims of natural disasters all over the country.

“Categorically, the practice of reaching out to the general public medically is akin to the key task of securing the lives and property of Nigerians. Therefore, it has and can never be done with ulterior motive.

“Nigerians should be assured that, the Armed Forces of Nigeria will continue to carry out its all-encompassing constitutional responsibility of ‘national security’ of which health security is inclusive.

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“From the above, and in specific terms, the campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Army regarding the outbreak of Monkeypox should be disregarded.

“It is the machination of the usual mischievous and disgruntled human gongs, who are always in the business of blackmailing the Military for their myopic selfish interests."

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa Government on Friday outlawed immunisation and health activities in schools following panic caused by false alarm raised over purported death of two pupils at St. Judes Secondary School after receiving monkey pox immunisation.