ISWAP video protecting communities in the Lake Chad region is false – MNJTF

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) said ISWAP’s claims that they offered protection to communities in the Lake Chad region were false and misleading.

Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, chief military information officer at MNJTF headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad, in a statement called the claim false and misleading, noting that ISWAP terrorist groups are spreading a distorted narrative, falsely portraying harmonious inter-communal relations. in the Lake Chad region and themselves.

“They claim to offer protection and adhere to strict Sharia law, which distorts the reality of their actions and intentions,” the report said.

It said the fake footage showed farmers, herdsmen and fishermen speaking the Hausa language, falsely highlighting their supposedly harmonious relationship with ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists.

The report also said that the report contained unimaginable and poorly worded falsehoods aimed at inflaming emotions and creating the illusion that terrorist groups were protecting lives and property in the Lake Chad region.

“The MNJTF wishes to categorically state that these footages are intended to mislead and manipulate public opinion while concealing the horrific acts they are perpetrating against the innocent population of the region.

“The MNJTF has documented numerous cases of forced displacement, brutal killings, abductions and other heinous acts by ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists that have caused fear and suffering among local communities. “Contrary to the false image of ‘peaceful coexistence’, the MNJTF is actively involved in stabilizing the region, ensuring genuine protection of civilians and creating conditions conducive to sustainable peace and development,” the statement said.

It said ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists, instead of acting as protectors, have devastated the local economy by restricting freedom of movement and undermining agriculture, fishing and trade.

“Instead, the MNJTF actively works with regional partners and national forces to stabilize the region, ensure genuine protection of civilians, and create conditions conducive to sustainable peace and development,” the statement said.