Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai has defended the actions of the military saying the Nigerian Army acted on its rules of engagements during the clash with the Shiites group in Zaria, Kaduna State last year.
The army chief made the remark at an investigation panel on at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Abuja.
He said the duty of the military was to ensure peace in the country and ensure that laws of the country were properly maintained noting that “no group will be allowed to become lawless.”
Buratai warned that nobody should ridicule the Nigerian Army but respect and help them in ensuring that peace and respect of human rights was achieved. Although the Army was trained to kill, he said the Army was an organised body and wouldn’t go ahead to kill anybody or group without an appropriate reason or intention to sustain peace.
Buratai said the Army was already facing the challenge in trying to put an end to the issues of insurgency in the North-Eastern part of the country therefore it does not expect any other group or persons to distract it or create more crisis.
Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof Bem Angwe warned that the world was going to be too small for anyone who refuses to obey the summons of the commission.
Meanwhile, the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement in Nigeria has demand for the immediate and unconditional release of their leader Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Speaking during a rally by the students at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja yesterday, Chairman of the movement, Shu’aibu Ahmed said it was unfortunate that since the arrest was made, their leader has not been released and has been denied access to anyone.