A
abujagirl
Guest
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said that the perceived human rights abuses by the Nigerian military and other security agencies in the country were being exaggerated and should be properly investigated.
Speaking while declaring open the three-day International Workshop on Civil-Military Cooperation at the National Defence College, Abuja, President Jonathan said, "We have taken very serious reports from some international organisations about perceived human rights abuses by our security forces during military operations.
"Findings have generally shown that these reports are indeed exaggerated, we know that there are issues but the reports sometimes exaggerate the issues. For me, may be standing as a president of a country where we are fighting terror, if you make certain statements people will begin to interpret that the president is trying to defend the Armed Forces or trying to protect himself from being dragged to the Hague.
"Some of these reports need to be properly investigated. This is why we are trying to see and we have discussed that we must review the use of military camouflage and fatigue dresses by military and paramilitary agencies; these are being abused and people who are not supposed to use them are using them.
President Jonathan said the Government would do its best to ensure that troops involved in internal and external operations do that in line with the nation’s laws.
He appealed to the Human Rights Communities for broader cooperation and deeper understanding of the circumstances the country was facing.
The workshop was organised by the office of the National Security Adviser and the European Union.
Speaking while declaring open the three-day International Workshop on Civil-Military Cooperation at the National Defence College, Abuja, President Jonathan said, "We have taken very serious reports from some international organisations about perceived human rights abuses by our security forces during military operations.
"Findings have generally shown that these reports are indeed exaggerated, we know that there are issues but the reports sometimes exaggerate the issues. For me, may be standing as a president of a country where we are fighting terror, if you make certain statements people will begin to interpret that the president is trying to defend the Armed Forces or trying to protect himself from being dragged to the Hague.
"Some of these reports need to be properly investigated. This is why we are trying to see and we have discussed that we must review the use of military camouflage and fatigue dresses by military and paramilitary agencies; these are being abused and people who are not supposed to use them are using them.
President Jonathan said the Government would do its best to ensure that troops involved in internal and external operations do that in line with the nation’s laws.
He appealed to the Human Rights Communities for broader cooperation and deeper understanding of the circumstances the country was facing.
The workshop was organised by the office of the National Security Adviser and the European Union.