Buratai Didn’t Encourage Rights Abuses Before His Retirement – Group

Popular rights advocacy groups, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA and AFRIRIGHTS have come out to tell foreign embassies to dismiss allegations of human rights violations pressed against immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd) and other ex-service chiefs.

The Right groups recent revealed this via a statement jointly signed by the national coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the national media affairs director Miss. Zainab Yusuf.

According to them, the ex-service chiefs clearly discharged their duties in a professional manner and ethical standard of military tradition, so no one should try to tarnish their image.

They added that instead of recrimination and casting undue aspersions just to ridicule the parties involved, we all should focus on appreciating a Buratai who deserves accolade for his undiluted services to Nigeria.

His words, “Contrary to insinuations and allegations by some groups under the aegis of Eastern Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition against General Tukur Buratia, we hereby on behalf of over eighth thousand members and over 36 registered affiliates, humbly write you this letter to bring your Excellency, up to speed, with what the immediate past Chief of Army Staff General Buratai adopted to resolve alleged human rights violations by soldiers.”

“The past six years have seen Boko Haram atrocities in the northern part of Nigeria raising serious internal insecurity issues and international uproar by its tendency to strike freely, killing and maiming with destruction. These have thus attracted the reliance of the Nigeria government on the military action to deal with Boko Haram.”

“It is vital to note first that, the Nigerian Police are statutorily charged with ensuring internal security and public order but the complexity of the threat has seen the army aiding the police.”

“Pertinent to mention that the involvement of the armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram enjoyed legal backing in the Nigeria’s Constitution and the Armed Forces Act, which empowers the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to determine its operational use.”

“Section 8(1), also provides that, the President shall determine the operational use of the Armed Forces, but may, under general or special directives, delegate his responsibility for the day-to-day operational use.”

“Section 8(3) of the same Act clarifies that, the operational use of the armed forces in Nigeria includes its use for the purpose of maintaining and securing public safety and public order.”

“With the absence of war with other states around the world, in maintaining Nigeria’s territorial integrity and securing its borders, the armed forces have been deployed more to suppress insurrections and assisting, mostly the Police and Nigerian Securities and Civil Defence Corps in the storm of ugly disturbances in different parts of Nigeria, especially in dealing with Boko Haram insurgency among others.”

“Pertinent to mention that the struggle by the Nigerian army to combat the Boko Haram insurgents changed with the reorganization of the military, notably the appointment of Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai as Chief of Army Staff and relocation of the military command structure to Borno State by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.”