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Tag: Ihejirika

  • JTF not responsible for Shuwa’s killing, says Ihejirika

    JTF not responsible for Shuwa’s killing, says Ihejirika

    •Faults Amnesty’s report

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has denied reports linking the Joint Task Force (JTF) to the shooting of Maj-Gen Mohammadu Shuwa, in his home last Friday.

    This followed the denial by Boko Haram that it was responsible for the killing.

    But an official account of the shooting linked the act to the group.

    Unknown gunmen shot Shuwa and a guest at his home in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    An account by JTF spokesman Col. Musa Sagir said the gunmen entered the late General’s home while he was hosting guests shortly before the Jumat prayers and shot at him and his guests.

    But Ihejirika yesterday debunked insinuations that members of the JTF are responsible for the killing.

    Speaking through the Army spokesman, Brig-Gen Bolaji Koleosho, the Army chief dismissed the insinuation.

    He said: “All we are interested in is restoring peace to Maiduguri and this is what our officers lay down their lives to do.

    “How can you accuse them of turning back to kill the same people they are protecting?

    “It just does not add up. What reasons could the JTF have against Maj-Gen Shuwa? We debunked it and we condemned it.

    “It is unfair on the military to be accusing us of killing our own.”

    Chief of Civil Military Relations Maj General Bitrus Kwaji faulted the report of Amnesty International, which indicted JTF of violation of human rights in the handling of Boko Haram insurgents.

    Kwaji regretted that Amnesty did not hear the military’s side before going public with its report.

    He said the organisation, which claimed to have visited Borno, Kano,Bauchi states and the Federal Capital Territory, did not balance its report by contacting security agencies during its investigation.

    According to him, the JTF acts under the terms of reference given to it and if it had done otherwise, Amnesty ought to have brought its observation to the attention of security agencies before the publication.

    He stated that if any individual or group in the Army had been found wanting, such individual or group would have been sanctioned accordingly.

    “There is no truth whatsoever in what Amnesty reported.

    “Its report was in favour of Boko Haram; it was one-sided.

    “You cannot have a report like this without interviewing security forces.

    “You just can’t come out and say that security forces have violated the rights of Boko Haram members or that security forces are involved in human rights abuses.

    “Whatever the JTF does is within the ambit of the law,” Kwaji stated.

     

  • Kidnapping: Ihejirika backs South East governors

    Kidnapping: Ihejirika backs South East governors

    THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, yesterday rallied behind South East governors in their plan to use the army in tackling robbery and kidnapping in the zone.
    Gen Ihejirika is convinced that with the initiative coming from the governors the twin problems would soon “be put behind us.”
    The army chief spoke at the end of this year’s Regimental Sergeants’ Major (RSM) Convention hosted by the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu.
    He said: “The issue of kidnapping is a problem the army is very familiar with, having dealt with kidnappers in the past in Abia State, and having helped to restore normalcy to Aba. As you are aware, the kidnappers are aided by the use of GSMs and the proliferation of weapons. But what will help most is the cooperation of people in giving out vital information to the security agencies.
    “It’s a very welcome development that the South East governors have come together just like the Northern governors have all come together to help tackle the menace of terrorists. So, with this type of interest shown by the governors, I believe the problem of armed robbery and kidnapping in the zone will be put behind us.”
    On the RSM Convention Gen. Ihejirika said: “The RSM sending off today has been quite successful and the turnout was quite impressive. All the RSMs of all units of the Nigerian army are in attendance except those involved in operations currently. And the topics discussed boarder on the contributions RSMs must make towards enhancing the performance of the Nigerian army, maintenance of discipline among soldiers, preserving our ethics and values amongst others. So I believe that with the turnout and the level of enthusiasm shown, it has been a success.”
    The five South East governors, at a meeting with security stakeholders in Enugu last week set up a committee headed by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Nigeria Army, Enugu, Major General Oluwaseun Oshinowo to proffer solution to the insecurity in the zone.