Presidency justifies Nigerian Army’s call for closure of Amnesty Int’l offices in Nigeria

The presidency has justified the frustration of the Nigerian Army leading to its call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria.

The presidency expressed reservations about the role that Amnesty International is playing in the war against terror in Nigeria.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made this position known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

“While President Buhari cherishes and encourages the noble ideals on which institutions like Amnesty International are founded, the organisation’s operations in Nigeria seem geared towards damaging the morale of the Nigerian military.

“It often appears as if the Nigerian government is fighting two wars on terror; against Boko Haram and against Amnesty International.

“The obvious bias and inaccuracies in Amnesty International’s recent country report on Nigeria risk Amnesty’s reputation as an impartial international organization,’’ the statement added.

President Buhari, therefore, appealed to the leadership of Amnesty International to scrutinise its advocacy in Nigeria, “especially as it relates to the war against terrorism’’.

In the report titled, “Harvest of Death: Three Years of Bloody Clashes Between Farmers and Herders’’, Amnesty International found that 57 per cent of the 3,641 recorded deaths occurred in 2018.

The report claimed that “the security forces were often positioned close to the attacks, which lasted hours and sometimes days, yet were slow to act. In some cases, security forces had prior warning of an imminent raid but did nothing to stop or prevent the killings, looting and burning of houses’’.

However, the Nigerian Army had since condemned the report and called for the closure of the Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, alleging there is credible evidence the organisation is working hard to destabilise the country.

The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Monday that the organisation’s attempt to destabilise the nation was noted through fabrication of fictitious allegations of alleged human rights abuses against the Nigerian security forces.

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Usman also alleged the AI had engaged in clandestine sponsorship of dissident groups to protest, as well as unfounded allegations against the leadership of the Nigerian military.

Usman said the Nigerian branch of AI that has hitherto been well respected has deviated from the core values, principles and objectives of the original parent body in the United Kingdom.

“They have tried over the years using Boko Haram terrorists conflicts, Islamic Movement in Nigeria, some activists and now herders-farmers conflicts”, the statement added.

“The NGO is at the verge of releasing yet another concocted report against the military, ostensibly against the Nigerian Army.

“Consequently, Nigerians should be wary of Amnesty International (Nigeria) because it’s goals are to destabilise Nigeria and to dismember it.

“The Nigerian Army has no option than to call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, if such recklessness continues.”Amnesty International, Nigerian Army, Buhari, Presidency, farmers-herders clashes, herdsmen

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