ABUJA - Nigeria does not need mercenaries in its fight against Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday. The country has the capacity to handle the insurgents on its own, Acting Director of Defence Information (DDI) Col. Rabe Abubakar said. Abubakar was reacting to some foreign news agencies’ claim that Nigeria is planning to hire South African mercenaries to prosecute the anti-insurgency campaign. The former President Goodluck Jonathan administration was criticised for secretly engaging the services of some South African meceneries. The foreign news agencies claimed that the Buhari administration is also planning to hire merceneries to help the military to crush Boko Harm by December, the deadline given the armed forces to crush the sect. Some reports yesterday quoted an anonymous top military source as saying that Nigeria has engaged South Africa-based private contractor Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP).
Read more here http://thenationonlineng.net/dhq-no-mercenaries-for-fight-against-boko-haram/

Earlier in his reaction with people on "Sub-Saharan Africa Largest Military Blog", Beegeagle., the Chairman of STTEP, Col. Eeben Barlow has commented:

"Eeben says:
October 22, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Hello All,
Sadly Rafiu Ajakaye needs to generate a story but this one is devoid of all truth.
And then they have the gall to call us ‘mercenaries’.
STTEP has NOT been asked to return to Nigeria and we very much doubt we will be asked to return. We did what we could in our 3 months there and that is long over.
I am amazed at how so-called journalists are able to generate utter rubbish and get paid.
Best wishes to you all and especially the men of 72 Mobile Strike Force, 7 Infantry Division.
Rgds,
Eeben".
https://beegeagle./2015/10/20/multinational-joint-task-force-commences-operations-against-bokoharam-participating-contingents-to-operate-in-their-home-countries/

Earlier on his blog, Col. Eeben Barlow have took time to explain some misconceptions about their mission in Nigeria and the negative narratives by "unscrupulous" journalists.
I Quote:
[b]"There have been, since my posting “FEEDING THE NARRATIVE”, numerous media reports on STTEP’s work in Nigeria.
I, on behalf of STTEP, gave only one interview. I spoke on behalf of the company and not on behalf of the Nigerian Army as any such an attempt would amount to a fraudulent representation of the Nigerian Army. (By the way, I did not run to the media as some have alluded. The media in SA(South Africa) began their usual campaign of condemnation and my one interview was aimed at countering the false narrative they were so keen to propagate to benefit Boko Haram.)
The remainder of the so-called news reports that followed consisted of information lifted off the SOFREP website(www.sofrep.com) and many reports were padded with innuendo and fabrications.
Whereas I fully understand that some in the media need to ensure that their misleading narrative gets as much media play as possible, it is nevertheless a blot on the integrity and honesty of the many good journalists out there trying to make sure they report on real happenings and not figments of their imaginations—or that of their handlers.
I have no intention of trying to defend either the Nigerian Army or STTEP against fabrications and deception as that would require a book on its own—and quite frankly, I don’t have the time to do so. The journalist who wrote that comment also hinted that he had actually interviewed me—he hadn’t.
I suppose I could go on and on…but my ramblings will merely become boring—even to myself. Besides, it gives the media the opportunity to say I ramble on and on…
Perhaps now the many decent and honourable journalists will understand our suspicion talking to them. They have been tainted by their very unethical, unprofessional and unscrupulous colleagues who continually abuse their positions to feed a false agenda and narrative—and who, apart from their salaries, most often get paid by their shadow paymasters as well.
Does that make me hateful of the media?
No, only very cautious as trust is not given unconditionally, it is earned"
Posted by Eeben Barlow's Milsec Blog[/b]
http://eebenbarlowsmilitaryandsecurityblog..com.ng/2015/05/updating-nigerian-narrative.html

cc; lalasticlala

So many fake Journalists and fake reports these days.

the amount of fake news even on nairaland is a cause of worry

Op the link you posted has no link to the story on your thread.
Liar! liar!!

Vanguard, the PDP propaganda media outlet, is the one spreading falsehood.

luvinhubby:
Op the link you posted has no link to the story on your thread.
Liar! liar!!

Use your eyes and not your nose. #NoBeef

Vikkie14:
Use your eyes and not your nose. #NoBeef

No beef taken.
No mention of Nigeria in your first link and no denial of any sort in your second blog links.

Now that STTEP and DHQ have denied the report, what are they going to do to Vanguard and those crook journalists that are spreading falsehood?