…Gives Army 72 Hours To Produce Soldiers Who Brutalised Civilians
BEVERLY HILLS, August 10, (THEWILL) – The Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and the Chief Security Officer of Madonna University have been summoned to appear before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on August 17 over last weekend’s alleged torture of some students of the school.
NHRC, which issued the summon Monday in Abuja, also asked the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to produce the soldiers who allegedly brutalised some civilians recently within 72 hours.
NHRC Executive Secretary, Professor Bem Angwe, who gave the orders at an emergency media briefing in Abuja, also called on Nigerians to report all human rights abuse cases committed by security officials to the Commission.
Angwe said: “Accordingly, all such practices whereby citizens are forced to frog jump by military officials, use of horse whips by VIP escorts to push off the road innocent road users and other forms of corporal punishments must cease forthwith.”
Describing such abuses as not only barbaric but also condemnable in a civilised and democratic society, Angwe said: “Today, Nigerians have chosen democracy as a form of governance where the rule of law and the observance and respect for human rights prevails.”
He disclosed that the Commission had concluded plans to arraign in court persons who refused to comply with the directives of the Commission, particularly those who refused to honour the invitation by the Commission in accordance with section 6(4) of the Amended Act of the Commission.
Angwe also disclosed that the Rights Commission would carry out daily visits to police and other detention centres across the country to ascertain the level of compliance with human rights norms.
He lamented that while the top hierarchy of the Nigerian military and Police have restated their commitment towards the observance and protection of human rights, some officers of these institutions had continued to exceed the scope of their authority by engaging in some excessive and reckless conduct thus undermining the rights of Nigerians continuously .
“This cannot be allowed to continue, hence the commission is taking up steps to end this culture of the impunity”, he said.
Army Apologises For Conduct of Soldiers
The Nigerian army has apologised for the conduct of its officers who brutalised suspected robbers. In multiple tweets after the NHRC demanded that the soldiers be produced, the army said they would be handed over the NHRC as soon as its own investigations in “accordance with our regulations” are concluded.
” The NA wishes to inform the public that the perpetrators of the offence have been identified, summoned and would face disciplinary action.
“The act was unfortunate and at variance with military ethics and professionalism.
“We wish to assure the public that the Nigerian Army would continue to protect and respect human rights and that this regrettable incidence should not be used as a yardstick to judge the entire Army,” the Army tweeted.
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