From Elohor Igbru, Abuja
The Nigerian Army through it’s Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyeama Nwachikwu has denied allegations that it had killed at least 1150 people in the South East, burnt down 100 communities and destroyed property worth N40billion.
The allegations were made by a civil society organisation called International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, otherwise known as InterSociety.
The Army described InterSociety as a group merely masquerading as a civil liberty organisation but whose activities are endorsing terrorism in the south east.
Read here the Army’s full message.
The Nigerian Army(NA) has been notified of individuals and groups masquerading as civil rights organizations, whose activities have clearly endorsed the mindless criminalities of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network(ESN). This organization’s latest report is an attempt to incite the public against the NA. The organization has tacitly encouraged anarchy in the region through spurious allegations.
Unmistakably, one of those so-called civil rights groups, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, otherwise known as InterSociety, has an antecedent of making bogus and unsubstantiated claims, aimed at supporting the activities of outlawed groups in Southern Nigeria.
The latest in their propaganda effort is the baseless report, where it alleged that in 14 months, troops razed not less than 100 Igbo Communities, attacked not less than 1000 dwelling houses belonging to unarmed civilians and destroyed property valued at not less than 40 Billions Naira. The report also alleged that security operatives killed 1150 innocent and defenceless ndigbos within the said period.
While the NA would not like to join issues with such organizations, which sympathize with the bloodletting and other heinous crimes going on in the region, it is instructive to state that the NA remains a cherished national institution that has fought at different fronts for the defence of the sovereignty and unity of Nigeria and would therefore not permit dissidents and their cohorts to undermine national security.
It is sacrosanct to reaffirm that the NA is a professional force that conducts its operations in line with global best practices and would not under any guise be involved in the suggestive extra judicial killings and such wanton abuse of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry, as alleged by InterSociety.
More worrisome is the fact that organizations such as InterSociety turn their eyes the other way, when outlawed groups like IPOB/ESN forcefully deny law abiding citizens their inalienable rights to freedom of movement through their illegal sit-at-home order. These organizations and their likes are advised to re-channel their concerns to the crimes committed by these criminals, who abduct, torture, maim kill and cannibalize their traditional rulers, fellow ndigbos and other innocent Nigerians under the guise of struggle for ’emancipation’.
For emphasis, the NA remains a professional force that adheres to extant rules of engagement and code of conduct for operations. The general public and indeed the good people of South East Nigeria are urged to please disregard these unfounded allegations emanating from the propaganda arm of dissident groups in the toga of Civil Society organization.
