Nigeria - Baga: DHQ Denies Soldiers' Arrest, as Senator Claims 228 Died

The Defence Headquarters has denied media reports that it has set up panel and arrested several soldiers in connection with the recent incident where hundreds of civilians were alleged to have been killed in Baga border town of Borno State during a firefight between the Multinational Task Force (MTF) and members of the Boko Haram Islamic Sect.

This was contained in a statement signed Saturday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI),  Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade when THISDAY inquired to confirm the report.

Olukolade said that the said report, which claimed the arrest of 15 soldiers over the Baga incident is totally false and "sensational".

Meanwhile, Senator Maina Maaji Lawan, who represents the senatorial zone of Borno State where the attack took place, insists over 200 people lost their lives during the incident.

"I personally visited three graveyards in Baga and counted 228 graves where victims had been buried," he said in a report carried by Reuters on Saturday.