The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has invited Amnesty International (AI) to come forward and substantiate its claims of 10,000 deaths in military detention facilities.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, extended the invitation while reacting to allegations by Amnesty International that at least 10,000 civilians have died in military detention centres since the onset of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
He described the allegations as “shocking, lacking in merit as well as mischievous, particularly as it coming at this ending cycle stage of the counter terrorism war in the North-East.”
He said while the Armed Forces was not willing to join words with Amnesty International, it became of utmost necessity to set the records straight.
He said contrary to the claims, “the Nigerian military is a professional force which conducts its operations within the dictates of international humanitarian law and the laws of armed conflicts.
“Though the operational environment has been complex and challenging, troops have painstakingly abide by the rules of engagement to extensively avoid civilian casualties in whatever shape or form.”
He explained further that “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.
“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.
“On the whole, the Armed Forces invites 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 allegations.”