Human Rights Violations: We have no issue with the military – Shehu of Borno

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Human Rights Violations: We have no issue with the military – Shehu of Borno

The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar-Garbai El-Kanemi says the Borno Emirate Council has no issue with the military regarding Human Rights violations.

El-Kanemi made this known on Thursday while receiving members of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in the Counter Insurgency operations in the North East (SIIP-NE).

El-Kanemi said the relationship between the traditional institution and the military has been cordial and waxing stronger.

He added that as people closer to the grassroots, the traditional institution has not received any report regarding the allegations made against the military on abortion and infanticide by Reuters.

“As far as I am concerned and as far as Borno Emirate is concerned, nobody ever came to me to complain of such human rights violations.

“We have not received anything bad about the military and will continue to support them.

“As far as we are concerned, we are 100 per cent supporting them now and always”, El-Kanemi said.

The royal father narrated how the emirate lost many lives including that of over 200 traditional rulers to the insurgency and how 17 Local Government Areas were occupied by the insurgents.

He lauded the military for recovering the LGAs and restoring relative peace to Borno.

El-Kanemi commended the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for setting up the panel and urged it to do justice to the allegations and expose anyone trying to blackmail the nation.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu who introduced members of the panel to the Shehu, said they were at the palace to seek his support and blessing.

Ojukwu said the panel has a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Abdu Aboki as Chairman to show the level of importance the government has for the investigation.

In his remarks, Justice Aboki who briefed the Shehu on issues to be investigated by the panel urged for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel had also visited the Theatre Command Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri.