The attention of the Defence Headquarters DHQ has been drawn to a statement credited to the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and published by the Guardian online Newspaper on 4 February 2024, faulting the formation of a Fact-Finding Team tasked to elicit practical workable solutions to the prolonged crisis in some parts of Nigeria, Plateau State inclusive.
In a statement, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau said “For the record, the Fact-Finding Team headed by an experienced retired senior military officer was constituted by the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) General Christopher Musa, following the deployment of military hardware’s including highly trained intelligence personnel and special forces to troubled areas of the State to ensure perpetrators of dastardly attacks are brought to justice”.
According to him, consequent upon this, the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja visited Plateau State on 27 January 2024 and gave the troops specific orders to deal decisively with those fermenting troubles leading to loss of lives and properties.
He noted that recently, numerous intelligence-driven operations have been conducted leading to the arrest of key suspects who are currently undergoing interrogation.
He said, “it is therefore pertinent to note, that the team was constituted as part of the non-kinetic approach of the DHQ in resolving the situation”.
Also, the team’s responsibility spreads across troubled areas in the country and is not limited to Plateau State alone, he added.
According to him, the DHQ calls on HURIWA being one of the respected human rights groups to cultivate the habit of seeking credible information on issues especially as it concerns National Security before approaching the media.
He said that “it is evident the group was ill-informed and could not spend time researching on efforts the military had made to restore normalcy in troubled areas of the country”.
He noted that the DHQ would have naturally overlooked the ignorance of HURIWA on this matter, but finds it necessary to educate civil society organisations on the responsible use of the media not to disseminate falsehoods and create tension where none exists.
“We, therefore advise HURIWA to henceforth be passionate to seek adequate information on issues of national importance and stop misleading the public deliberately. The DHQ would take strong legal action should such a mistake repeat itself”, he said.
The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa appreciates the support of the Nigerians to the troops in the field making unquantifiable sacrifices to ensure peace in our nation.
The CDS is confident the troops will stamp out criminality in Plateau State and the country at large.
Dominica Nwabufo
