The Nigerian military has reacted to reports that over one hundred and fifty among the 2,000 policemen deployed to fight Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East have absconded from their training exercise at the Special Forces School, Buni-Yadi, Yobe State. Brigadier-General A. S. Ishaq, the Coordinator of Nigeria Police Force for Operation Lafiya-Dole (NPFOLD), said there was nothing like desertion, but just a case of some recalcitrant personnel leaving their training base for a reason which was not cogent. He said: “The policemen didn’t abscond as alleged in media reports. What happened was that some of the police officers insisted on going for the Christmas holiday. Reacting, the Police Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, said that all the 2,000 policemen deployed have reported and are on the ground on combat operation prosecuting the war against insurgency along with the military.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 27, 2018 11:48 UTC