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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has called on Amnesty International to provide evidence for its allegations that civilians were tortured in military custody in the north-east.
Amnesty International recently claimed that over 10,000 people have died in military detention since the Boko Haram insurgency began. Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s Nigerian country director, announced during a Thursday press conference that the organisation had filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, alleging crimes against humanity in the region.
Responding to these allegations, Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, dismissed the claims as “mischievous.” Buba clarified that the military does not detain suspects beyond the period necessary for profiling and hands them over to relevant agencies for release or prosecution after investigations.
In a statement, Buba said: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to some spurious allegations made by Amnesty International during a press conference held on 5 Dec 24. It was alleged that, since the onset of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria (NE), over ten thousand civilians died in Nigerian military detention facilities, among other spurious allegations.”
“The armed forces view the pronouncements by Amnesty International as shocking, lacking in merit, as well as mischievous, particularly as it [is] coming at this ending cycle stage of the counterterrorism war in the NE. Though the operational environment has been complex and challenging, troops have painstakingly abided by the rules of engagement to extensively avoid civilian casualties in whatever shape or form.”
Buba emphasized that suspects are appropriately processed after arrests. “Additionally, whenever arrests are made, suspects are profiled, after which the suspects are handed over to the appropriate agency for release or prosecution. As a deterrence to unethical conducts, there are standing court martials within the operational theatres to ensure justice is immediately administered to any erring personnel during operations.”
He reiterated the professionalism of the armed forces under General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff. “Overall, it is necessary to reiterate that the armed forces under the able leadership of the CDS, General Christopher Musa, remains professional in carrying out its constitutional mandates in line with global best practices.”
Buba concluded by inviting Amnesty International to substantiate its claims, saying, “On the whole, the armed forces invite Amnesty International to substantiate the details of the allegations. This will enable the military to conduct an inquiry in order to determine the authenticity or otherwise of the made allegations.”