Defence Headquarters denies downplaying Oyo school kidnap, says attack was carried out by Boko Haram-linked JAS terrorists

• The Defence Headquarters rejected claims that it described the Oyo school kidnappers as ordinary criminals.

• Military spokesperson Michael Onoja said the attack was carried out by terrorists linked to the JAS group, a Boko Haram faction.

• The military said troops are actively working with other security agencies to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across the country.

The Defence Headquarters has dismissed reports claiming it attempted to downplay the recent school kidnapping incident in Oyo State, insisting that those behind the attack were terrorists linked to the JAS group and not ordinary criminals.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, described the reports circulating online as “mischievous and misleading.”

According to him, the military never referred to the attackers as mere criminals or tried to reduce the seriousness of the incident.

“The clarification issued by the Defence Headquarters was solely to provide an intelligence-based context regarding the security in the South West, in order to prevent misinformation and public panic,” Onoja stated.

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He explained that the kidnapping in Oyo State was allegedly carried out by members of the JAS terrorist group who fled from other parts of the country due to ongoing military offensives.

“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high intensity operations being conducted all over,” he said.

The military spokesperson further stressed that reports suggesting the Defence Headquarters described violent terrorists as ordinary criminals were false.

“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja added.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to protecting democratic institutions and supporting constitutional governance across the country.

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“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to supporting constitutional governance, protecting democratic institutions and working collaboratively with all levels of government to safeguard the nation,” the statement read.

According to the Defence Headquarters, troops have remained deployed in affected areas while working together with other security agencies and local stakeholders to tackle security threats.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” Onoja said.

JAS, short for Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, is widely known as the original Boko Haram faction that began operating in Nigeria in 2002 before splinter groups later emerged.