The Defence Headquarters has firmly denied allegations of mistreatment of young women rescued from Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, as reported by Amnesty International on June 10, 2024.
Amnesty International’s report, titled “Help us build our lives: Girl Survivors of Boko Haram and Military Abuses in North-East Nigeria,” accuses the military of abusing survivors in detention facilities, in violation of international armed conflict laws to which Nigeria is a signatory. The report states, “Boko Haram survivors said they were insulted and beaten, and witnessed the beatings of others, by soldiers during their detention. All detention facilities where the interviewees were held were run by the Nigerian military. In some facilities, CJTF members played supporting roles.”
In response, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, reiterated the military’s commitment to international law. “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to allegations labelled against the Armed Forces of Nigeria by the Report of Amnesty International launched during a press conference in Abuja on June 10, 2024. Accordingly, the AFN hereby makes it unequivocally clear that it is a professional military force that operates within the ambit of international law of armed conflict. Additionally, the AFN adheres to humanitarian law and principles governing human rights.”
General Buba emphasized the military’s preference to handle such allegations through direct engagement rather than public disputes. “The AFN elects not to join words with such organisations, rather would encourage them to approach the military high command to substantiate their allegations.”
He further noted that the military has established self-regulating mechanisms to address any proven misconduct among its personnel. “The military has self-regulating mechanisms with which it administers the military justice system to address any proven case of misconduct of personnel. The AFN, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has zero tolerance for indiscipline and any form of improper conduct during operations across the country. It is for this reason that there are standing court martials to treat any form of misbehavior by erring personnel, especially those that portray the military negatively to the general populace.”
In conclusion, General Buba reaffirmed the military’s focus on its mission to combat terrorism, stating, “The AFN will remain focused on its objective. We will be unperturbed by such self-serving statements targeted at dampening the morale of troops in operational theaters. Rather, we will engage constructively with Amnesty International, where available. Overall, we will continue on the trajectory of conducting operations assiduously to defeat terrorism in our nation.”
