The United States and British embassies in Nigeria has withdrawn and denied entry visa to some serving and retired Nigerian Army (NA) officers, a report of a Board of Inquiry set up by the army to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by the military in the country, has revealed.
This is even as the Nigerian Army exonerated itself over allegations in its confrontations and treatment of Boko Haram terrorists and internally displayed persons (IDPs) in its operations in the North-east, as well as members and sypathisers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The report was presented late wednesday by the Head of the Nigerian Army Civil Relations, Maj-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, alongside the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman.
The army had set up the Board of Inquiry to investigate the allegations contained in a series of Amnesty International reports accusing military officer of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings during their engagements with Boko Haram and IDPs in the North-east, and member of IPOB in the South-east.
Curiously, the board members that carried out the investigation into the rights abuses were all absent at the presentation of the report by officials of army headquarters in Abuja.
Angbazo, while presenting the report, said: “You will recall that Amnesty International (AI), in their reports about the NA in the North-east, had alleged cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, forced disappearance and extrajudicial executions against some senior army officers. Likewise it alleged same case against the NA regarding IPOB.
“The Board limited its investigation to the roles played by the NA during the rallies by IPOB in Aba on 9 Feb, 2016 and Onitsha on 29-30 May 2016.
“The AI alleged that on 9 Feb 2016, during a peaceful rally by IPOB at the National High School in Aba, Abia State about 17 of its members were killed and 30 injured by personnel of the NA.
“AI also alleged that it had evidence of mass extrajudicial executions by security forces, including at least 60 people shot dead in the space of 29-30 May 2016 in connection with events to mark Biafra Remembrance Day.
“The Board reviewed videos, photographs and eyewitness testimonies relating to demonstations and other gatherings of IPOB members provided by non-government and military sources.
The Board also had extensive discussions with the governors and senior government officials of Abia and Anambra States.
“The Board visited the National High School, Abia where it was alleged that members of the IPOB were shot by security forces on 9 Feb 2016.
“The Board met with the schools security man on duty on the said day (name withheld).
“The Board took note of the AI allegation that the bodies of at least 13 members of the IPOB allegedly killed at the National High School, Aba were buried in a shallow pit along the Aba-PortHarcourt expressway.
“The Board observed that there was no specific description of the location of the alleged shallow pit in the AI report.”
On the incident on May 30 2016, Angbazo stated that with regards to that incident at St. Edmund’s Catholic Church Nkpor, where AI had alleged that soldiers opened fire on worshippers in the church compound, members of the board had held individual and group discussions with the resident priest (name withheld) of the church, the chief security officer of the church and residents within the vicinity.
“The Board found that there were protests by IPOB members at Aba on 6 Feb 16 and at Onitsha on 30 May 16.
“The Board found that the IPOB protests were
