Military Debunk Shekau’s Claim of Establishing Caliphate in Gwoza

The military has debunked the claim of the leader of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau that it had formed a Caliphate in a northeast town seized by the earlier this month.

In a statement on its website, the military said the claim was empty.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact.

“Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with the expression of delusion and crime,’’ it said.

It added that appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits was still ongoing.
The group had claimed in a new video that Gwoza in Borno had been placed under an Islamic Caliphate.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah has said the army will soon launch a massive military offensive to end insurgency in the North-East.

Minimah made this known when he addressed troops of 2 Brigade Port Harcourt at a two-day visit to army formations and units in Rivers on Sunday.

According to him, military hardware’s will soon arrive into the country in furtherance of the Federal Government resolve to end Boko Haram activities.

“The equipments ordered by the Federal Government will soon be coming into the nation’s shores in a few weeks time.

“As soon as the equipments come in, we will launch a major offensive toward ending this madness of insurgency in the North-East of the country,” he said.