The Nigerian Army has reacted to the report by Amnesty International
that they killed 150 Indigenous People of Biafra protesters between
August 2015 to August 2016. According to a statement by the Acting
Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, the report is unfounded
and an outright attempt to tarnish the reputation of the security
forces in general and the Nigerian Army in particular. Read the
statement below...
The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a planned release
of a report by Amnesty International on an unfounded storyline of mass
killings of MASSOB/IPOB protesters by the military between August 2015
and August 2016. We wish to debunk the insinuation that our troops
perpetrated the killing of defenceless agitators. This is an outright
attempt to tarnish the reputation of the security forces in general and
the Nigerian Army in particular, for whatever inexplicable parochial
reasons. For umpteenth times, the Nigerian Army has informed the public
about the heinous intent of this Non-Governmental Organisation which is
never relenting in dabbling into our national security in manners that
obliterate objectivity, fairness and simple logic.
The evidence of MASSOB/IPOB violent secessionist agitations is widely
known across the national and international domains. Their modus
operandi has continued to relish violence that threatens national
security. Indeed between August 2015 and August 2016, the groups’
violent protests have manifested unimaginable atrocities to unhinge the
reign of peace, security and stability in several parts of the South
East Nigeria. A number of persons from the settler communities that
hailed from other parts of the Country were selected for attack, killed
and burnt. Such reign of hate, terror and ethno-religious controversies
that portend grave consequences for national security have been averted
severally through the responsiveness of the Nigerian Army and members of
the security agencies. These security agencies are always targeted for
attack by the MASSOB/IPOB instruments of barbarism and cruelty. For
instance, in the protests of 30 – 31 May 2016, more than 5 personnel of
the Nigeria Police were killed, while several soldiers were wounded,
Nigeria Police vehicles were burnt down same as several others of the
Nigerian Army that were vandalized. The strategic Niger Bridge at
Onitsha came under threat thus leading to disruption of socio-economic
activities. In the aftermath of the encounter that ensued between
security agencies and MASSOB/IPOB militants many of own troops sustained
varying degrees of injury. In addition, the MASSOB/IPOB recurrent use
of firearms, crude weapons as well as other cocktails such as acid and
dynamites to cause mayhem remain a huge security threat across the
Region.
In these circumstances, the Nigerian Army under its constitutional
mandates for Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA) and Military Aid to
Civil Powers (MACP) has continued to act responsively in synergy with
other security agencies to de-escalate the series of MASSOB/IPOB violent
protests. Instructively, the military and other security agencies
exercised maximum restraints despite the flurry of provocative and
unjustifiable violence, which MASSOB/IPOB perpetrated. The adherence to
Rules of Engagement by the military has been sacrosanct in all of these
incidents. Therefore, it is rather unfortunate for the Amnesty
International to allow itself to be lured into this cheap and unpopular
venture that aims to discredit the undeniable professionalism as well as
responsiveness of the Nigerian Army in the discharge of its
constitutional roles.
Thank you for your usual cooperation.
Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman
Acting Director Army Public Relations
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