Buhari vows to punish soldiers who violate human rights

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned members of the Nigerian Armed Forces against human rights abuse and violation in the cause of their duties.

The president sounded the warning yesterday at the combined passing out parade of the 399 officer cadets of the 62 regular course and short service course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna.

He added that officers and men of the Armed Forces should resist the temptation of harassing and intimidating Nigerians while carrying out their constitutional roles.

According to the president, the current administration would uphold the rule of law and it has therefore become necessary for officers and men of the Armed Forces to desist from conducts that infringe on the rights of citizens. He noted that the fight against terrorism cannot be realised without a credible and effective military.

The president expressed the commitment of his administration to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society.

The president enjoined the new cadets to play their roles as junior leaders in tackling the prevailing security challenges in the country.

President Buhari said: “While I applaud the integrity and sterling record of the Armed Forces as an institution, this administration will insist on the rule of law, and deal with any proven cases of deviation from laws of armed conflict (LOAC), including human rights abuses. In operational conduct Nigerians expect our Armed Forces to keep law and order and not to behave like bullies.

“The objectives of our fight against terrorism cannot be realised without a credible and effective military. On your shoulders therefore lies the mechanism to drive the junior leadership in our Armed Forces. The Armed Forces of Nigeria have a world-acclaimed reputation for valour, resilience and loyal service.

“Let me reiterate the administration’s renewed commitment to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society. Rule of law as an element of good governance applies to the Armed Forces as much as any institution in our country.

“It is therefore gratifying to note that recently all three Services have taken steps to not only emphasise on strict adherence to rules in area of recruitment, promotions, procurement, project executions, and more importantly, in civil-military relations.

“I would like to commend the NDA Leadership for reminding everybody that NDA is a Professional Military Education (PME) institution. In this regard, serious efforts have been made to ensure that academic endeavours must necessarily relate and serve the professional needs of the military.

Buhari added:”I expect that ongoing efforts to review all academic courses of study towards enhancing the professional education capacity of the military will soon be completed. The message of these ongoing reviews, which I hereby reiterate, is that Nigeria is blessed with many civil universities.

“NDA must therefore carve out a niche for itself as a military research university because of its uniqueness, instead of mirror-imaging and competing with civil universities. That is why I want to recognise and commend the current Commandant for continuing to support the new Centres of Excellence established by his predecessor.

“Let me assure you that the federal government will continue to work towards facilitation of the completion of the NDA’s permanent site.

“I urge you to remain steadfast in your uncommon task of producing world-class officers who will continue to bring home laurels for the Nigerian Defence Academy and for Nigerians.

“For you, the passing out cadets today marks the end of your very tough training in the academy and the beginning of your career as officers in the armed forces. As you are aware, some of those who started the course with you discontinued because they could not withstand the rigours of the physical, mental and intellectual challenges which you gallantly endured.”