Army to uphold and protect human rights values – Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai assured Nigerians on Monday that the Nigerian Army will continue to respect and protect human rights during its operations, with full knowledge of the consequences of its violation.

Buratai made this remark in Abuja at a one-day Security and Human Rights Workshop organised by oil giants, AGIP.

“The issue of human rights has assumed greater responsibility, not only among the armed forces, but indeed all actors that are involved, especially in security and its management.

“We understand the consequences of human rights violation.

“Ordinarily, our rules of engagement are aimed at protecting the lives and property of individual; we will do everything possible within the rules of law, constitutional provision, we will not deviate from that,’’ he assured.

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Buratai, however, maintained that if there were complaints of human rights violation against personnel, such complaints were investigated and where necessary, the involved party were either court martial or charge to court.

He assured oil firms in the country that the army would continue to provide adequate security personnel to enable them to operate, as well as to ensure that conflict was avoided.

Mr Olaniyi Omodara, the Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, National Human Rights Commission stressed the need to respect human rights in managing conflict that may arise between oil companies and host communities.

Earlier, in a presentation, Mr Insula Massimo, the Managing Director of AGIP urged all security agencies to always treat and protect all persons equally during conflict.

Massimo also urged them to exercise power only to achieve legal objective in crisis situation.