Human rights violation: Buhari to take action on Amnesty report

  President Muhammadu Buhari has  again reiterated his pledge that his government will closely study the report released recently by Amnesty International, in which top ranking officers of the Nigerian military were accused of gross abuse of human rights.

In a statement Friday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said “The president is quite disturbed by the allegations contained in the report. The next step is to look into the allegations and confirm or disprove the disturbing details.”

Amnesty International in its recent report accused some high ranking military officials, including the former Chief of Army staff of violating human rights in its prosecution of the war against terrorism in the north west, an allegation stridently denied by the Nigerian Army.

But in his statement, Garba Shehu said  “President Buhari has already determined that one of the first assignments of the incoming Attorney General of the Federation would be to look into the Amnesty International report and advise the government on an appropriate course of action.

“This is in addition  to the internal inquiry he asked the armed services to undertake by themselves”the President’s aide said.

 He also emphasised President Buhari’s commitment to human rights, and his promise that there would be no human rights abuses under his government.

“Any allegation of human rights abuse that takes place during the tenure of President Buhari’s government will be swiftly investigated and dealt with,” he said.