Presidency dismisses Amnesty International indictment

• Says report lacks credibility

The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed the report of Amnesty International which indicted the Nigerian military of human rights violations in the offensive against Boko Haram terrorists, saying that the report lacks credibility and not backed by verifiable evidence.

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement, protested that the Amnesty International report is not verifiable.

The SSA in the statement declared: “The recent report released by the Amnesty International alleging human rights violation by Nigerian security agencies is inherently battling with credibility, falling vehemently short of evidential narration.

“It is short on credibility because it does not contain factual leads that could have laid the foundation for investigative actions.

“Findings are attributed to people but proper description of such people constituting the source of information is not provided.

“Engagement was claimed to have been made with Nigerian authorities but which authority is it, is not provided with clarity. This then is just a wild goose chase report, in essence.

“In some breath, the report seemed like the one in 2015, and the one in 2016, and the one after that year, the same things being recycled again and again.

“It ignores the fact of the existing mechanisms put in place by the military, as a self-correcting step and the high-level committee constituted by the Presidency to examine any such claims.

“Over this period of time, the Nigerian military had indeed established cases of abuse and punishments meted out from Orderly Room trials and Court Martials that resulted in losses of rank, dismissals, and trials and convictions by civil courts.

“Indeed, as President Buhari said during his recent joint press conference with President Trump at the White House: “the government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights, as well as promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror. We commit to ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated, and those responsible for violation held responsible.””