The Nigerian military has debunked the report that suspected Boko Haram gunmen have kidnapped 40 boys and young men in a remote village in northeast Nigerian Borno state on New Year's eve‎, residents who fled the isolated settlement said on Saturday.

Even though efforts to reach the Director of Defence Information (DDI) Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade to speak on the matter proved abortive, an authoritative military source dismissed the report as a foreign media propaganda with their local conspirators.

The top official raised doubts over the reports, saying that there was a similar story few weeks ago quoting figures of men and women that were kidnapped but could not be substantiated.

According to the military authorities, those rumours of kidnaps are meant to create panic, sustain the atmosphere of insecurity in the North East and ultimately ridicule the nation's armed forces, adding that it "should be scrutinized and not swallowed hook, line and sinker since they have their agenda".

The source said: "Is this not one of those foriegn propaganda they are spreading with their local conspirators. It is one of those phony stories being spread by the locals giving conflicting figures and alarms that are not true.

"The other time they said its about 150 being kidnapped and were they able to justify it? No. They are just trying to be alarmist and that is why the military will keep them guessing".

THISDAY