Probe allegation against troops, military asks NHRC

He said, what Reuters is accusing the armed forces of perpetrating, does not represent the professional standing of the Nigerian military, together with the DNA of their combat operations in various parts of the country.

Irabor added that all the officers are ready to answer any question from the probing team, promising that they would accept any outcome of the commission’s investigation.

He said, “We want you to conduct a thorough investigation. And by the time you decide to do so, you can be assured that we will grant you unfettered access to all of our military establishments not only in the North East, but across the country.”

Irabor explained that since the military is at the core of the issues raised, they are committed to giving their full cooperation towards achieving the fundamental objective of the proposed investigation of NHRC.

“We have always adhered to the tenets of international humanitarian laws, while also abiding by our professional ethical codes, together with the military Standard Operation Procedures, in all that we do in the North East, and other parts of the country,” said Irabor.

In his reaction, the NHRC boss said the investigation by the commission must meet some standards.

He said the investigation must be public and open, transparent, in line with the principle of fair-hearing, accountability, non-discriminatory and the panel must accommodate variety of interest.