Amnesty report on human rights violation leaves Presidency, Army fuming

The Amnesty International (AI) report on human rights violation by Nigerian security agencies has drawn reactions from the Presidency and the Nigerian Army.

In its latest report entitled “They betrayed us”, the international human rights group accused Nigerian security forces of raping thousands of women and girls at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the country.

According to AI, “The Nigerian military and Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) have separated women from their husbands and confined them in remote ‘satellite camps’ where they have been raped, sometimes in exchange for food.”

The group claimed that it has collected evidence that thousands of people have starved to death in the camps in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, since 2015.

Frowning at the report, the Presidency in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja described it as a wild goose chase report without credibility and substance.

“The recent report released by the Amnesty International alleging human rights violation by Nigerian inherently security agencies is inherently battling with credibility falling vehemently short of evidential narration.

“It is short on credibility because it does not contain factual leads that could have laid the foundation for investigative actions.

“Findings are attributed to people, but proper description of such people constituting the source of information is not provided. Engagement was claimed to have been made with Nigerian authorities but which authority is it, is not provided with clarity. This then is just a wild goose chase report, in essence.

“In some breath, the report seemed like the one in 2015, and the one in 2016, and the one after that year, the same things being recycled again and again. It ignores the fact of the existing mechanisms put in place by the military, as a self-correcting step and the high-level committee constituted by the Presidency to examine any such claims.

In its reaction, the Defence Headquarters on Wednesday claimed that it has got reliable intelligence report of a plan by AI to release a false report on fictitious rape incidents in IDP camps in the North East region of Nigeria.

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In a statement signed by Brigadier General John Agim, Acting Director, Defence Information, the Defence Headquarters said, “This malicious trend by AI is becoming a frequent ritual and it is rather unfortunate. In times like this, Amnesty International is expected to apply the natural law of liaison by working with security agencies as partners.

“This would have been the best way to ensure that insurgency and crisis is completely wiped off rather than engaging in falsehood, maligning the military and painting her in bad light at any slight opportunity.

“The Nigerian Military wishes to use this medium to reiterate her commitment to the citizens of our dear nation, that it will abide by all Human Rights Regulations as entered into by Nigeria and also go the extra mile in ensuring that the territorial integrity of our nation is well protected.

 

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