Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa has commended the humanitarian interventions of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), particularly across conflict-affected communities in North East Nigeria.
The Minister gave the commendation while receiving a delegation of the ICRC at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja, where discussions focused on humanitarian operations, civil-military relations, detainee welfare, and ongoing counterinsurgency efforts.
General Musa said that Nigeria remains committed to promoting human rights and complying with international best practices and established protocols guiding civil-military relations.
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He expressed concern over the continued insurgency affecting parts of the North East and North West, stressing that national security requires collective responsibility and broader stakeholder support.
“Security is everybody’s business,” the minister stated, while calling for sustained collaboration against terrorism and violent extremism.
Earlier, Head of Delegation of the ICRC in Nigeria, Doris El Doueihy, appreciated the organisation’s continued cooperation with the Nigerian military, describing the relationship as critical to humanitarian service delivery in conflict-affected areas.
She also commended the Federal Government for the recent launch of a military police training programme in Zaria and reaffirmed the ICRC’s expanded humanitarian operations across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States.
The ICRC further appealed for improved detainee access procedures, particularly regarding communication between detainees and their family members, while encouraging stronger coordination with the Ministry of Justice to address detention facility congestion and accelerate hearing processes
