• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Acting Controller General of Customs, Nigerian Customs Services, NSC, Ag. CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Adeniyi Inaugurates Lagos School Renovated by Nigeria Customs 

      Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada

      Customs’ Maiwada Named Among Nigeria’s 50 Most Influential PR Voices

      Acting Controller General of Customs, Nigerian Customs Services, NSC, Ag. CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Customs Exposes Scam Over Form M Migration to B’Odogwu Platform

      CBN

      The Facts About Nigeria’s Debts Burden Under Tinubu’s Watch By Zekeri…

      Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata of Arewa Economic Forum AEF

      AEF Slams CBN’s New BDC Policy, Cites Threat to Northern Economy…

  • National
    • Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB arrested by Nigerian security services

      Nnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists

      NUJ election

      NUJ Urges Constitutional Backing for Journalists, Proposes Media Bailout Fund

      Tinubu Appoints IBB’s Son as Chairman, Bank of Agriculture, Names Heads…

      Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

      In Rivers, Customs Hands Over N20.5bn Worth of Fake Drugs to…

      Military Troops in Action

      COUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS: Troops Arrest Terrorists Collaborators, Eliminate Scores, Seize Weapons, Rescue…

    • Government
      • IPRA GWA

        IPRA Calls on UN to Curb Misinformation from AI and Social…

        Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB arrested by Nigerian security services

        Nnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists

        NUJ election

        NUJ Urges Constitutional Backing for Journalists, Proposes Media Bailout Fund

        Tinubu Appoints IBB’s Son as Chairman, Bank of Agriculture, Names Heads…

        Late President Muhammadu Buhari

        Critique of Renaming University of Maiduguri after Muhammadu Buhari By Dr…

  • Security
    • Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB arrested by Nigerian security services

      Nnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists

      Nigerian Police Force

      Benue Police Nab Notorious Arms Traffickers, Recover Rocket Launcher, AK-47 Rifles,…

      Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

      In Rivers, Customs Hands Over N20.5bn Worth of Fake Drugs to…

      Military Troops in Action

      COUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS: Troops Arrest Terrorists Collaborators, Eliminate Scores, Seize Weapons, Rescue…

      Lord Jonathan Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), and Ministry of Defence Perm Sec Ambassador Gabriel Tanimu Aduda

      UK-Nigeria Pact to Drive Defence Innovation, Joint Ventures

  • Features
    • Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Critique of Renaming University of Maiduguri after Muhammadu Buhari By Dr…

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Buhari’s Shocker: I look Forward to Leaving, and when it’s …

      Buhari: The Soldier Who Couldn’t Conquer Democracy By Umar Farouk Bala

      Gen Lucky Irabor and Muhammadu Buhari

      Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari

      Vice Admiral Awwal Z Gambo and Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Tribute to the Late Former President Buhari, By Vice Admiral Awwal…

  • State
    • IPRA GWA

      IPRA Calls on UN to Curb Misinformation from AI and Social…

      Nigerian Police Force

      Benue Police Nab Notorious Arms Traffickers, Recover Rocket Launcher, AK-47 Rifles,…

      Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

      In Rivers, Customs Hands Over N20.5bn Worth of Fake Drugs to…

      Nigerian Navy

      Navy Hands Over Seized 1,575kg of Indian Hemp to NDLEA in…

      Nigerian Police Force

      Notorious Bandit Kingpin, Abubakar Magaji Arrested in Sokoto, Gun, Ammunition Recovered

  • Event
    • Dr Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan of NCC

      APRA Secretary General Omoniyi Ibietan Named ‘PR Change Maker’

      Prof Saudat Abdulbaqi

      Prof Saudat Abdulbaqi Makes History as First Female Dean of UniIlorin’s…

      Late Oba Sikiru Adetona and Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Oba Sikiru Adetona: The Day Ijebu Lost Its Lion By Tahir…

      President & Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku

      On World PR Day, NIPR Charts Bold Path to National Renewal

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Features Nigerian Army: Path to Improved Civil-Military Relations
  • Features

Nigerian Army: Path to Improved Civil-Military Relations

By
Jonhson Obioha
-
March 9, 2016
Nigerian Army
Nigerian Army

NigerianArmyBannerThe Nigerian Army in the last one month have been on the “charm offensive” to improve its human rights records and reinvigorate its Civil-Military Relations (CMR). This can be seen under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai through the re-absorption of some dismissed soldiers and officers accused of acts of cowardice amongst others.

Also, the commuting of a sentence handed to Brig-Gen. Enitan Ransome-Kuti by the Special Court-Martial (SCM) and an open dialogue with human rights and legal bodies like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Amnesty International (AI), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), are good developments.

The Nigerian Army had in a conciliatory move last year, reinstated about 3,032 soldiers who were convicted of various offences through series of GCM set up by the immediate past COAS, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (rtd).

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, in a statement then, noted that the decision came from recommendations by a committee set up to review the cases of soldiers in the defunct Operation Zaman Lafiya with a view to ensure discipline, regimentation and justice in the system.

He explained that the reinstated soldiers have also shown commitment and readiness to be relaunched into the theatre to combat insurgency, clarifying “that not all the dismissed soldiers were granted pardon and recalled”.

Similarly, the Army Council in continuation of the humane acts commuted the dismissal of Ransome-Kuti from the service to a demotion to the rank of Colonel with four years seniority. The decision was contained in a circular dated March 1, 2016, and taken after reviewing the judgment of the SCM that tried him on a three-count charge for failure to perform his military duties and miscellaneous offences relating to service property.

In October, 2015, Ransome-Kuti was dismissed and sentenced to six months imprisonment following offences he committed during his command of military operations in Baga last year.

There is no doubt that one of the significant decision of the current Army leadership to improve its image, is the establishment of Human Rights Desk under the Department of CMR. Last month, Buratai through the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (CCMA), Maj-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, commissioned the desk with a promise to investigate all cases of human rights violations involving the army.

He said: “The establishment of the desk office was borne out of the increasing interest of the local and international human rights bodies on what we are doing in the North East and other parts of the country”.

According to him, the army is trying to open up the system in order to close the gap with the civil populace, human rights agencies and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).  He said the newly established desk will receive documents, investigate complaints from individuals; organizations and institutions on rights violations involving army personnel.

The desk, he said, will liaise and facilitate interaction with the human rights organizations; strategize and strengthen capacity of the army in promoting human rights; as well as developing a network of contacts of human rights offices in Nigeria. The desk will be opened to all Nigerians with complaints of human rights abuse.

He urged complainants to contact the desk either by writing, email, text messages or register in person, assuring them of transparency and establishment of more accessible desks in various locations outside the Amy Headquarters (AHQ).

Impressed by this action, the Executive Secretary, NHRC, Mr. Ben Angwe, commended the army for the “novel and bold initiative”. Angwe through the commission’s director, Mr. Saka Azimazi, said that the army by its actions has set a commendable precedence for other services of the armed forces.

In addition, the Nigerian Army in a marked departure from its past rocky relationship with human rights bodies engaged them as partners rather than rivals in the internal security operations.

Accordingly, the Operation Lafiya Dole have thrown open its detention facilities in parts of North East to the NBA, ICRC, and other human rights organisations to inspect the conditions of the detained Boko Haram suspects.

Recently, Army authorities engaged AI in a dialogue aimed at resolving their differences in the alleged atrocities committed by some of the officers and soldiers in the CT COIN operations against suspected terrorists.

Read Also:

  • IPRA Calls on UN to Curb Misinformation from AI and Social Media
  • Nnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists
  • ‎FACT-CHECK: Was Obi Ever Pictured Having Coffee with Gen Sani Abacha at the Presidential Villa?

The historic meeting was encouraging to the Head of AI Delegation and Director Research/Advocacy, Mr. Netsanet Belay, who commended the Army authorities for adopting an open door policy, while describing their meeting as “very fruitful and a first step to address the issues raised by the body”.

“We have heard encouraging views that some independent monitors like the ICRC, have been granted access to the detention center which is a good step and we requested that we be allowed access to the facility to also verify,” Belay noted.

At least, that meeting provided the Army authorities an opportunity to clear their name and present their own side of the story to the AI team, who were allegedly horrified by the video showing atrocities of the Boko Haram terrorists.

Again, the Nigerian army, sequel to its recent approach to open its human rights records for scrutiny through dialogue and collaboration, has also activated its civil relation engagements.

The first of this was the maiden meeting with the Borno Elders Forum (BEF) in Maiduguri, to seek ways of ending Boko Haram terrorism in the state and North East. This was aimed at mobilizing the civil populace against the insurgents.

Next was a visit to the dreaded Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road by the army chief and the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and their involvement at the launch of the Motorbike Battalion to maintain security in the route, opened after more than three years closure, is an indication of trust in the military.

Another was the donation of 25 patrol vehicles to security agencies by the Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar. Abubakar while distributing the N250 million worth of vehicles to the Army, Police, and Department of Security Service (DSS), said that “the role of government is to provide security especially with the rise in criminal activities around the globe”.

Meanwhile, facts available shows a Nigerian Army that is determined to improve its image, human rights records and civil relations but some provocations – from the Shiites and IPOB – have hampered these efforts.

The IPOB’s case came up at the recent interview President Muhammadu Buhari granted to Al Jazeera, which attempted to air the video of alleged shooting of unarmed protesters in southern Nigeria.

The leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), had in a detailed statement signed by Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, and titled: “Ceaseless Killing Of Unarmed Citizens In Nigeria: Why Security Chiefs Must Desist From Provoking More Insurgencies Capable Of Plunging Nigeria Into Syrian Styled Violence”, warned that urgent steps must be taken to stop the killing of IPOB members.

They drew the attention of the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazzzau (rtd); Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Muhammad Dan-Ali (rtd), and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, to the alleged killing and maiming of over 480 members of IPOB by security operatives.

In the same vein, the clash with the members of the Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky led Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Kaduna State on December 12, 2015 are yet to be resolved.

The Islamic group claims that the whereabouts of the leader remains unknown. The group also released a list of about 730 of its missing members since the clash.

Fortunately, the Police have since assumed responsibility of El-Zakzaky, while the Kaduna State government has established a Commission of Inquiry on the deadly clash, which the Sect has refused to recognise.

Also, there are reports that the Nigerian Army has dispatched a team of investigators to verify the allegations that their personnel massacred IPOB members and buried them in a borrow pit in Aba, Abia state.

Consequently, these are issues that demands urgent but dispassionate attention in order to continue on the part of result-yielding civil-military relations.

To this end, a lot has been done, much is being done and yet much more are expected from the Nigerian Army to sustain its new found vigour towards a professional fighting force, on the same page with the citizenry.

Jonhson Obioha

PRNigeria Staff Writer

[email protected]

Abuja

PRNigeria encourages institutions to be transparent in their information management as it provides news items from authoritative sources for free use by the media
VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
  • Col. Sani Usman
  • Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai
  • nigerian army
Previous articleEFCC Re-arraigns Ex- Pensions Director, Katun for N81.4m Fraud
Next articleEse Oruru: From Delta Creek to Northern Savannah
Jonhson Obioha
Jonhson Obioha
https://prnigeria.com
PRNigeria is the pioneer Press Release Distribution agency in Nigeria. A member of image Merchant Promotions limited, PRNigeria encourages individuals and organisations to be more transparent in their information management. with dedicated Editorial staffs, the PRNigeria ensures that information provided on its platforms are timely, factual and authoritative Read more at: //prnigeria.com/about/
Facebook Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Critique of Renaming University of Maiduguri after Muhammadu Buhari By Dr Umar Ardo

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari’s Shocker: I look Forward to Leaving, and when it’s time, I go to my Grave By Femi Adesina

Buhari: The Soldier Who Couldn’t Conquer Democracy By Umar Farouk Bala

Gen Lucky Irabor and Muhammadu Buhari

Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari

Vice Admiral Awwal Z Gambo and Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Tribute to the Late Former President Buhari, By Vice Admiral Awwal Z Gambo (Rtd) CFR

Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

Customs, NAFDAC and the Fight that Matters

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari in his Own Words By Kabir Akintayo

Peller

Fame, Fortune, and Fallout: The Peller Paradox By Haroon Aremu Abiodun

Officers of NSCDC Mining Marshals

Alake’s Verdict on Mining Marshals By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

CBN

The Facts About Nigeria’s Debts Burden Under Tinubu’s Watch By Zekeri Idakwo Laruba

Governor Charles Soludo and Governor Dikko Radda

Soludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir Ahmad

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Log in to leave a comment

Recent Posts

  • IPRA Calls on UN to Curb Misinformation from AI and Social Media
  • Nnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists
  • ‎FACT-CHECK: Was Obi Ever Pictured Having Coffee with Gen Sani Abacha at the Presidential Villa?
  • NUJ Urges Constitutional Backing for Journalists, Proposes Media Bailout Fund
  • Benue Police Nab Notorious Arms Traffickers, Recover Rocket Launcher, AK-47 Rifles, Ammunition
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
IPRA Calls on UN to Curb Misinformation from AI and Social MediaNnamdi Kanu’s Threat to Break Up Nigeria Was Deliberate, FG Insists‎FACT-CHECK: Was Obi Ever Pictured Having Coffee with Gen Sani Abacha at the Presidential Villa?NUJ Urges Constitutional Backing for Journalists, Proposes Media Bailout FundBenue Police Nab Notorious Arms Traffickers, Recover Rocket Launcher, AK-47 Rifles, AmmunitionTinubu Appoints IBB's Son as Chairman, Bank of Agriculture, Names Heads of Key AgenciesIn Rivers, Customs Hands Over N20.5bn Worth of Fake Drugs to NAFDACCOUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS: Troops Arrest Terrorists Collaborators, Eliminate Scores, Seize Weapons, Rescue Captives Across N'EastAdeniyi Inaugurates Lagos School Renovated by Nigeria Customs UK-Nigeria Pact to Drive Defence Innovation, Joint VenturesCustoms' Maiwada Named Among Nigeria’s 50 Most Influential PR VoicesCritique of Renaming University of Maiduguri after Muhammadu Buhari By Dr Umar ArdoFULL TEXT: President Tinubu Extols Muhammadu Buhari at Special FEC SessionAgain, FG Postpone Recruitment into Paramilitary AgenciesBuhari's Shocker: I look Forward to Leaving, and when it's time, I go to my Grave By Femi Adesina
X whatsapp