The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that there are no secret graveyards in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, where fallen soldiers are buried.
The headquarters said this on Thursday in reaction to a publication by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the army had secretly buried over 1,000 soldiers in unmarked graves in a bid to cover up the casualty figures in the ongoing war against insurgency in the North East.
A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, denied the report, calling it an ‘insinuation’.
“It must be unambiguously clarified that the Armed Forces of Nigeria does not indulge in secret burials, as it is sacrilegious and a profanity to extant ethos and traditions of the Nigerian military,” the statement said.
Nwachukwu also said that in tandem with the traditions of the Armed Forces, fallen heroes are duly honoured and paid the last respect in befitting military funeral of international standard, featuring funeral parade, gravesite oration, solemn prayers for the repose of departed souls by Islamic and Christian clerics, as well as gun salutes, aside other military funeral rites.
He added: “The cemetery described in the publication, which is situated in Maimalari military cantonment is an officially designated military cemetery for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the North East theatre, with a cenotaph erected in honour of our fallen heroes.
“The official cemetery has played host to several national and international dignitaries, where wreaths were laid in honour of the fallen heroes.
“It is, therefore, a far cry from the sacrilegious impression being painted by Wall Street Journal.”
The Defence Headquarters urged members of the Armed Forces and the general public to disregard the publication.
