You Keep Recycling Reports, Presidency Faults Amnesty Int’l Indictment On Military

The Nigerian Presidency, has reacted to the report released by the Amnesty International alleging human rights violation by Nigerian security agencies.

The reaction was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday.

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Recall that the Nigerian Military had announced that it had received credible intelligence report of a plan by the AI to release a false report on “fictitious rape incidents” in IDPs camps in the North East region of Nigeria.

The AI, as predicted, released its report, accusing men of the Army of molesting and raping women and children taking refuge in Internally Displaced camps.

In a swift reaction, the presidential aide said the report is short on credibility.

According to him, the report does not contain factual leads that could have laid the foundation for investigative actions.

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He said that the Humans Right group reports are only being recycled.

“The report seemed like the one in 2015, and the one in 2016, and the one after that year, the same things being recycled again and again,” he said.

“Engagement was claimed to have been made with Nigerian authorities but which authority is it, is not provided with clarity.

“This then is just a wild goose chase report, in essence.

“In some breath, the report seemed like the one in 2015, and the one in 2016, and the one after that year, the same things being recycled again and again.

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“It ignores the fact of the existing mechanisms put in place by the military, as a self-correcting step and the high-level committee constituted by the Presidency to examine any such claims,’’ he further noted.

Shehu observed that over this period of time, the Nigerian military had indeed established cases of abuse and punishments meted out from Orderly Room trials and Court Martials that resulted in losses of rank, dismissals, and trials and convictions by civil courts.

He quoted President Buhari during his recent joint press conference with President Trump at the White House to further buttress his points as saying: “the government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights, as well as promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror.

“We commit to ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated, and those responsible for violation held responsible.”

The 2017/2018 Reports of the Amnesty International on Nigeria had alleged that the Nigerian military “arbitrarily arrested and held thousands of young men, women and children in detention centres around the country.

The report alleged that detainees were denied access to lawyers and family members.

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