Army Rights Abuse Report: Exposing Nigerian Army Of Pathological Lies And Unconventional Soldiering
It was a negative laughing moment all through in
a teleconference room of the team of Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the
Rule of Law following the release of the report of a kangaroo probe panel of
the Nigerian Army (Special Board of Inquiry), constituted on 8th March 2017.
The panel, which was set up by the COAS, Lt Gen
Yusuf Tukur Buratai, was to look into grave allegations of widespread/gross
human rights abuses in the course of its counter insurgency operations in
Northeast Nigeria as well as its undemocratic and unconstitutional involvement
and violent crackdown on nonviolent and peaceful assemblies in Southeast and parts
of South-South Nigeria.
The grave allegations of gross human rights
abuses were contained in special reports issued by leading international and
local human rights organizations including Amnesty Int’l, Human Rights Watch,
Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law and Southeast Based
Coalition of Human Rights Organizations.
Specifically on mass killing and maiming of
unarmed and defenseless members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro Biafra campaigners; there are
at least three special reports from Amnesty Int’l, Human Rights Watch and
Intersociety.
Intersociety’s report was released on 12th March
2017 and titled: Welcome to Bleeding Republic of Nigeria: a Land Flowing with
Blood and Tears.
WATCH THE VIDEO: WELCOME TO BLEEDING REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, A LAND FLOWING WITH BLOOD & TEAR
The sum total of the reports and allied media and
research publications has since put the Nigerian Army and its master government
or the Buhari Administration at crossroads; forcing same to desperately look
for an escape route as well as other crooked and mischievous means of
impunity.
Internationally and diplomatically, serious
concerns have been raised leading to serious debates and temporarily stoppage
or suspension of sale of a number of strategic weapons of war to Nigeria and
non-issuance of travel visas to a number of serving and retired Nigerian senior
military and other security personnel by US and UK.
READ ALSO: US, UK Deny Nigerian Military Personnels Visas Over Human Rights Abuses
The present Federal Government’s official policy
of falsehood, propaganda and smear campaigns has also been heavily brought to
bear as an escape strategy, leading to hiring of rented crowds to demonstrate
against Amnesty Int’l, etc.
Some conformist writers, “NGOs” and uninformed
legal opinions have been procured as well by key elements within the Nigerian
Army to further demonize and castrate the referenced reports. Totality of these
has been marked with colossal failure.
As if these failed efforts were not enough, the
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai hastily and questionably constituted
a board comprising veteran and serving members of the Nigerian Army to
investigate itself.
The Nigerian Army, following our criticism and
total rejection of the constituted board and its militarist and lopsided
composition; later brought in an amenable staff of the integrity crisis ridden
National Human Rights Commission, named Barr Tony Ojukwu and another named Barr
Olawole Fapohunda to give same a (failed) legitimacy outlook.
The integrity and independence challenged
Nigerian Army’s Special Board of Inquiry (SBOI) concluded its watery and
partiality ridden assignment and submitted it on 31st May 2017, leading to its
release to the media on 15th June 2017.
The major fatality of the said Army’s Special
Board of Inquiry and its findings is its gross incoherent and inconsistency
with the fundamental principle of natural justice; rested on its twin pillars
famously expressed in Latin as; nemo judex in causa sua and audi alterem partem
which has its English translation to mean; no one should be a judge in his own
case and hear the both parties.
READ ALSO: Nemo Judex In Causa Sua: Army Clears Self Of Human Rights Violations
Any fact finding or criminal finding rested outside
the confines of the foregoing is of no effect, null and void.
Specifically, we had on 9th March 2017 issued a
detailed statement rejecting in its entirety the setting up of the Nigerian
Army and its COAS (Lt Gen Tukur Buratai)’s Special Board of Inquiry to look
into gross rights abuses of the Army under complaint.
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