The Federal
Government has constituted an investigation into the allegations leveled
against the Nigerian military by the Amnesty International.
This is contained
in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Amb. Bulus Lolo and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday
in Abuja. Lolo, in the statement, described the allegations leveled against the
military as “serious”.
“Due to the magnitude of the allegations, the President
Buhari-led government is looking into the report with a view to establishing
the fact of the matter. “The government has, therefore, instituted an
investigation and assures that there will be no cover-up,” he said.
The permanent
secretary also said that the military, conscious of its constitutional mandate,
had undertaken an ongoing investigation into the allegations of wrongdoing by
its personnel. Lolo said the military, in line with its training, ensured the
highest level of professionalism by its officers in the conduct of its
operations.
He pointed out that the Nigerian military operations, both
internally and internationally, had earned it well-deserved respect.
The
permanent secretary, however, said that consistent with the State of Emergency
imposed on the three states worst-hit by Boko Haram, namely Adamawa, Borno and
Yobe, the military had some powers. According to him, the state of emergency
empowered the military to arrest, interrogate and detain any civilian actively involved
in terrorist activities.
“In Nigeria, as in other regions where terrorists have
unleashed their evil acts without a scintilla of respect for morality, extreme
measures are sometimes required to contain extremism. “It is a well-known fact
that Boko Haram respects no laws at all, including sacred religious laws that
the group claims to cherish.
“We find it nonetheless very worrisome that
Amnesty International has yet to comment on the horrendous, mindless and
ruinous activities of Boko Haram.” Lolo noted, however, that “indeed, the
victims of Boko Haram’s despicable activities deserve justice and sympathy”.
According to him, the Federal Government is deeply concerned about the rights
and the safety of all Nigerians adding, “it will ensure that the culprits are
brought to book. “In the meantime, the Government of Nigeria reaffirms its
unflinching commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms.
“In this regard,
Nigeria will continue to work and count on the support of its neighbours, as
well as its international partners.”
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