Maiduguri – The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has advocated joint training for security personnel in the country as part of measures to check alleged human rights abuses and unprofessional conduct.
Buratai said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
He said security agencies in the country were becoming more conscious of the rights of citizens and were making deliberate efforts to improve on their conduct during operations.COAS seeks joint human rights training for security operatives
The Army Chief, however, said that there was need for synergy among security agencies to reduce the rate of public complaints about alleged rights abuses and unprofessional conduct by operatives.
”It will be a good idea for security agencies to consider a joint meeting or training on minimising the tendencies for human rights abuses during operations.
”By and large, I want to assure you that all security agencies are very much conscious, are aware and observing human rights conditions as stipulated in the laws.
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‘They don’t operate outside the laws; the assurance is that we are committed to the rule of law especially as it affects human rights issues,” he said.
He said many of the allegations of human rights abuses and unprofessional conducts against the military were unsubstantiated.
The Army Chief said the army had invested a lot of resources in the training of its personnel both at home and abroad on human rights protection and related issues.
Buratai said holding joint training on human rights would among other things, put security personnel on the same wave length.
He urged the public to view the complaints against military operations from a broader perspective.
According to him, the issue of human rights violations should not be viewed from one perspective that vilified the military alone.
“So, we really need to continue to synergise and enlighten ourselves to know that the military is working within the laws, we don’t just deliberately violate people’s rights.
“Issues of treatment of prisoners of war; treatment of IDPs; treatment of the vulnerable; treatment of the sick, including insurgents are all done in compliance with internationally defined humanitarian laws,” he said.
He said the military and indeed other security agencies, remained committed to the rule of law, stressing that all operations were guided by the tenets of the laws. (NAN)
