The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, on Monday dared human rights activists, who had threatened to drag him and other officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to the International Criminal Court.
Buratai, who stated this while addressing principal staff officers, general officers commanding and field commanders at a meeting in the NA headquarters, Abuja, said the commanders should not be afraid of the ICC while performing their duties.
He also ordered military commanders and troops to go after looters and hoodlums raiding warehouses and vandalising property across the country, adding that sponsors of #EndSARS protests were out to discredit the Army
There has been outrage over soldiers’ shooting of peaceful protesters on Tuesday last week in Lekki, Lagos, with some of those who condemned the incident threatening to take Buratai to the ICC.
Protests by youths calling for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery of the Nigeria Police turned violent following the shooting in Lekki.
Also, mobs have been looting public and private property besides the burning of police stations and other government buildings.
But on Monday, Buratai did not comment on the allegation that soldiers shot protesters.
He, however, denied that the army masterminded the miscreants involved in the arson, vandalism and looting of public and private property in many cities.
The chief of army staff made it clear to his men that there must be no room for disloyalty amongst all officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
He said the PSOs, GOCs and field commanders must reiterate to all their subordinates that the army was determined to ensure democratic stability in the country as the only panacea for development and progress.
Buratai said, “The recent activities by unscrupulous elements have shown their desire to acquire arms and ammunition at all costs from security personnel. No less than 10 AK-47 rifles have been lost to these miscreants in the past two weeks across the country with attendant loss of lives of personnel.”
According to a statement read by the Army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa, on behalf of the COAS, Buratai charged the commanders to nip in the bud the trend at all costs.
The statement was titled, ‘Press briefing on the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. TY Buratai’s meeting with principal staff officers, general officers commanding and field commanders at the Army headquarters conference room, Abuja on October 26, 2020.’
In the statement, Buratai directed the commanders to warn their troops on internal security or guard duties outside the barracks to be at “maximum alert at all times and to also deal decisively with any attack on their duty locations.
“We will not allow any force, elements or destabilising agents in or outside our country to set our beloved country on fire. We remain resolute in doing everything possible to ensure that subversive elements, detractors and other enemies of this great nation do not achieve their aims and objectives of destabilisation,” he said.
The COAS said that the army was aware from the outset, the plan by the organisers of the protests to discredit the NA.
He stated, “The NA (Nigerian Army) has been aware of the grand design by the sponsors of the protests to draw it into the crisis.
“The plan was to embark on massive propaganda to discredit the military and the government so as to set the people against the NA once it is called out to aid the civil authorities. The NA being aware of the devilish plan was careful not to be dragged in and issued the initial warning through a press release on 14 October 2020 of our resolve to secure and safeguard a united Nigeria.
“Now the detractors alongside their local and international collaborators have mischievously and deliberately misrepresented troops’ efforts to ensure compliance with the curfew imposed by legitimate civil authorities in Lagos and other states.”
He accused unnamed individuals and groups of falsely accusing the army of being responsible for the activities of the miscreants “despite glaring evidence to the contrary.
“They have continually threatened to report the NA to the International Criminal Court and also threatened various forms of sanctions against personnel and their families.
“Thankfully, however, a large percentage of Nigerians and the international community have started seeing through the smokescreen of falsehood and deliberate misrepresentation of facts being orchestrated by enemies of Nigeria and have retracted their earlier false publications,” he added.
Tasking his men on their responsibility, Buratai admonished that none of the PSOs, GOCs, field commanders and other officers and soldiers of the NA should be afraid of the ICC for carrying out their legitimate duties.
He stated, “None of the PSOs, GOCs, field commanders and other officers and soldiers of the NA should be afraid of the ICC for carrying out their legitimate duties as stated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other extant laws, rules and regulations of Nigeria.”
According to him, the commanders have every right under the constitution to carry out assigned and legitimate roles of maintaining law and order in aid of civil authorities and other security agencies.
The statement said, “He (COAS) charged them to show the detractors and other elements of destabilization that they are neither part of them nor in any way supportive of their activities at all times. He directed that any act of arson or attempt to kill or maim any military or security personnel and other law-abiding civilians must be responded to quickly and decisively.
“In dealing with any security threat, troops must fully cooperate with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies and must ensure that everyone is in full compliance with imposed curfews and any other extant security instructions in force.”
Speaking shortly before the meeting went into a closed-door session, Buratai dismissed calls on the international community to impose a travel ban on top military officers over alleged violation of human rights of #EndSARS protesters.
He described as criminals those asking foreign governments to impose visa restrictions on him and the military commanders.
He said, “Criminal elements are threatening us with travel ban but we are not worried because we must remain in this country to make it better.
“The first time I travelled outside of this country, I was already 50 years and a general, so I don’t mind if I live the rest of my life here.”
But #EndSARS protesters, human rights groups and lawyers, in separate interviews berated Buratai for alleging that the protests were organised to discredit the Army.
They also criticised his directive to the commanders that they should not be afraid of the ICC.
You will not get away with soldiers’ killing peaceful protesters, activists reply Buratai