Group seeks probe of alleged sexual abuse on IDPs

Again the Nigeria army under the leadership of General Turkur Burutai, has come under heavy criticism championed by a group of human right watchers under the aegis of Access to Justice (AJ), who had described the Federal Government dismissal of Amnesty International reports of sexual abuse of the IDPs by the Nigerian soldiers as knee-jerking.

The group, had reiterated its commitments to ensure that justice is done to all the IDPs being used as sex doles, thereby urging the Nigerian
government to institute a probe panel to ensure that such soldiers are brought to book. It also suggests that the federal government should
suspend Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, over a recent report released by Amnesty International.

The Amnesty report contained alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of internally displaced persons in the north-east by soldiers and members of the civilian joint task force.

The federal government of Nigeria through the Minister of information Alhaji lai Mohammed had denied the allegation saying it was a target to
malign the Nigerian army.

In a statement by Joseph Otteh, convener of AJ, the group said a responsible government cannot dismiss reports of horrendous crimes against its citizens without investigating them.

Otteh said the knee-jerk reaction has cheapened the lives and dignity of all whose stories were the subject of the allegations.

“In this case, a government which vaunts that it takes human rights abuses seriously has committed itself to the position that that allegations of serious atrocities made against agents of the state are unfounded without lifting a finger to verify them,” Otteh said.

“The grounds for dismissing the report are deplorable. Government says proper description of such people constituting the source of information
was not provided. That objection is abjectly ludicrous, even more so for a government that is supposedly promoting a whistle-blower’s policy and protecting the identities of persons who provide information to it on criminal activities.

“How is it tenable for government to request for sources of information in the 21st century before it can act on complaints of the possible commission of war crimes, particularly when those sources can be exposed to further traumatisation or possible destruction should they be revealed?

“Besides Amnesty International, other independent organizations, including the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), have conducted similar studies and returned findings indicting the military of staggering lawlessness and excessive violence on a number of occasions.