- DHQ says Nigeria will not rely on foreign assessments to determine internal security threats or take counterterrorism action.
- Kangye warns global propaganda and psychological warfare tactics must not cloud Nigeria’s sovereign decision-making process.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared that Nigeria remains a sovereign country capable of making its own security decisions.
It said the country would not be swayed by foreign claims or commentary that do not align with its intelligence or national interest.
The military said this on Thursday during a briefing in Abuja, in reaction to comments by the Turkish government.
Turkey had alleged that members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation, FETO, were operating in Nigeria under the guise of schools and hospitals.
Responding to the claims, the director of defence media operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said the military does not recognise the statement as official.
“Information from the person you are talking about, as far as Defence Headquarters is concerned, is an unofficial announcement,” he said.
“Everybody is free to say whatever they want. There is freedom of information.”
He said Nigeria maintains military and diplomatic ties with several countries but warned against accepting unverified foreign narratives.
“Nigeria is an independent sovereign nation that can think and act for itself,” Kangye added.
“We cannot take what other people are saying about Nigeria and accept it without our own independent assessment.”
“Nigeria knows what it is, and the Nigerian military has its own code of conduct and operational guidelines.”
He warned that such claims could be part of broader global propaganda efforts or psychological warfare.
“There are propagandists all over the world. Psychological oppressions go on everywhere. That’s why we must be vigilant,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria would continue to combat terrorism based on its internal security assessment.
Kangye said the country would take guidance from its priorities, not foreign pressure, despite maintaining international alliances.
The Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, had raised concerns over FETO’s presence in Nigeria.
He made the comment at a dinner in Abuja on Tuesday to mark Turkey’s Democracy and National Unity Day.
Poroy said the group’s activities in education and healthcare posed threats to host countries.
“The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates,” he said.
He urged Nigerian authorities to be “vigilant and cautious” over what Turkey sees as the group’s subversive activities.