The Borno State Police Command has refuted claims by Boko Haram terrorists that female police officers are being held by the group.

This follows the attack on Military/Police escorted convoy at Abari/Dalwa village Maiduguri/Damboa highway on 20th June, 2017.

The denial was contained in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Wednesday, signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Isuku Victor.

He quoted one media reports as having stated that “16 female passengers in the bus trailing the ambulance carrying late Sgt. Rahila’s corpse were Police women and wives of Policemen asked to accompany the burial party. And all of them were taken away by BHT”.

In another recently released video on You-Tube where Boko Haram claims responsibility for the attack on military convoy, its leader Abubakar Shekau, claims to have women Police personnel and wives of Senior Police officers in the custody of the Boko Haram.

The Command restated that there are no Police women under Boko Haram terrorist’s captivity as claimed by the sect leader. It also affirmed as contained in an earlier Press Briefing by the Commissioner of Police, CP Damian A. Chukwu, on June 20 that Police lorry with Reg. No. NPF 2677 D was carted away; and occupants comprised personnel, relations and burial party for late Sgt Rahila Antikirya.

Chukwu also disclosed that the driver of the Police lorry, Sgt. Kubura Mwada, was shot and injured on his back but was able to jump down from the lorry and escape.

He gave the details of missing personnel as Inspr. Fatsuma Sale and Cpl. Abubakar Haruna. The CP pointed out that there is no evidence in the video clip indicating that they are in the captivity of the sect.

Other occupants of the lorry, according to the Police Command, are either relations or sympathisers of the deceased, and were all reported missing in the earlier press briefing.

“They took advantage of the space in the lorry conveying personal effects of the deceased Police woman and joined the burial party,” the police said.

The Command also, advised media organisations and the general public to disregard the claim(s) in the video, as well as social media reports as they are not a true representation of that unfortunate incident.

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