ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Nigerian Army has said that the premature and compulsory retirement of the former General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Maiduguri, Maj-Gen. Ahmed Mohammed, was illegal and arbitrary.
This was in response to the recent report by the Amnesty International (AI), where it accused the Army authorities of reinstating Mohammed, who is alleged to be involved in human rights violations against Boko Haram suspects.
The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, in a statement on Tuesday, clarified that the reinstatement of the senior officer followed due process.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to media reports that the human rights group, Amnesty International, has frowned at the reinstatement of Major-General Ahmadu Mohammed into military service, alleging that he was involved in human rights abuses while he was the General Officer Commanding 7 Division. The Nigerian Army wishes to thank the exalted body for this observation,” Usman said.
Although, he noted, it is not an aberration for the international human rights body to raise such an observation, however, it did not take into cognizance the circumstances leading to his illegal retirement and the legal procedure that was followed in his reinstatement.
According to Usman, “the compulsory and premature retirement of Major General Mohammed did not follow due process and was rather arbitrary”.
He explained that the senior officer was never charged, tried, let alone found guilty of any offence that justified his premature retirement.
“The action was therefore a clear violation of extant rules, regulations, as well as Terms and Conditions of Service of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. This obvious violation prompted the senior officer to seek redress using the appropriate legal means,” he stated.
Consequently, he said, the realisation of these omissions called for a review of the case by the Army Council and his subsequent reinstatement into the Service.
The Army spokesman added that the objection to his reinstatement into the Nigerian Army was ill-informed and being respecter of law, the protector and promoter of human rights, the organisation should be guided by this principle and not by sentiments or act on the basis of misinformation.
“The Nigerian Army will appreciate it more if AI provides us with records and clear evidences directly indicting Major General Mohammed in human rights abuse to enable us act on it.
“We wish to assure AI that the Nigerian Army respects human rights and further state that we are ready to partner with the organisation in promoting human rights protection and development,” Usman said.
