The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Monday commended the Nigerian Military for their conduct during the Saturday’s elections.
HURIWA said military should be praised for not succumbing to the shoot-at-sight order by President Muhammadu Buhari against ballot box snatchers during the Saturday’s polls.
The body recalled that before the Presidential polls, it had urged Nigerians to support the Nigerian Army in its internal security operations during the polls.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the body said: “We are hereby sending a word of commendation to the hierarchy of the Nigerian Armed Forces for complying with global best practices by not succumbing to the temptations of the political times to shoot-on-sight suspected ballot box snatchers as was widely expected to happen following the opinion expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have reliably gathered evidence from all across the country that there was a commendable levels of compliance to the international principles obliging the military to adhere to the rules of engagement.”
HURIWA also tasked the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai to ensure that “the internal mechanisms put in place to stop human rights violations by soldiers are effectively and efficiently activated to check abuses just as the group urged the Nigerian Army to maintain absolute neutrality during the elections.”
“Officers and operatives of the military are abreast of the universally approved rules of engagement in internal security operations just as they have been trained on the far reaching implications of proven cases of extralegal execution of citizens including citizens who may be in conflict with the law.
“We have been informed from a dependable source embedded in the office of Mr. President that no such wide ranging presidential order whether in writing or orally has gone out from the President to the service Chiefs.
“Citizens must know that if ballot box snatching leads to breakdown of law and order, the security forces are permitted by the Constitution to resort to use of lethal weapons which in any case may inflict fatality as a consequence.”
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