The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has praised the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in North-East Counter-Insurgency for clearing the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) of allegations made by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Reuters.
Recall that these accusations involved claims of forced abortions and other human rights violations during counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The panel’s findings specifically concluded that allegations of systematic abortions, torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings against the AFN were unfounded.
General Musa commended the seven-member panel, led by retired Justice Abdu Aboki, for conducting a thorough investigation since its inauguration by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission in March 2023.
The CDS reaffirmed the AFN’s commitment to defending human rights and ensuring peace within Nigeria.
He emphasized that “no amount of false accusations will deter the AFN from fulfilling its constitutional duty to protect the nation’s territorial integrity.”
