The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has applauded the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter-Insurgency in the North East for exonerating the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) from indictments by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Reuters regarding allegations of forceful abortions and other infractions in the North East.
This was stated in a release made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja on Saturday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brigadier General Tukur Gusau.
ALSO READ: Aiyedatiwa lauds lawmaker for inaugurating ultramodern motor park in Ondo
The statement noted that the CDS commended the seven-member panel, led by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd), for diligently carrying out a thorough investigation since its inauguration in March 2023 by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.
General Musa, who reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the defense of human rights and their resolve to ensure peace in the country, emphasized that “no amount of false accusations will distract the AFN from exercising its constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.”
It is worth noting that the panel’s report specifically stated that the allegations of systematic abortions, torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings leveled against the AFN were false.
