The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, on Tuesday said the Nigerian military would not be deterred by any criticisms on its ongoing war against insurgency in the North-East.
Badeh said this in Abuja when the Coalition of Civil Society Groups paid a solidarity visit to the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
He said the Nigerian Armed Forces had fought before in the 1960s and finished in 1970s, and that the country had remained one, adding that the current war against insurgency was not different.
“One thing that the armed forces are doing is that we are not deterred by criticisms, in war nothing is equal and people behave differently under pressure.
“And war is the worst form of pressure any normal human being can ever face, so if there are one or two infractions out there at the venue of war, it is normal,
“It happens in every army, the most developed armies had committed worst crimes.
Badeh said the Federal Government had said it would investigate the Amnesty International Report indicting some military officers of war crimes, adding that the military would wait for the investigation.
He said the armed forces were very busy fighting the war that would keep Nigeria united.
The CDS said in the military’s onerous task several communities had been restored to where they were, adding that it was what the armed forces wanted to achieve.
“Our duty and obligation is to make sure that we return this country to normalcy, that is our pledge.
“And civil society groups, you know that you are the conscience of the nation and we urge you not rest on your oars.
“ We know we have been hit by you before, when we do what is not right you hit us; it is expected and when we do what is right, you commend us and we want to thank you for being a check and balance.
“We can guarantee you that there is no amount of distraction that can stop us from having a secure Nigeria.
Earlier, the President of the group, Etuk Williams, said they were at the defence headquarters to pay a solidarity visit and also to appreciate the good work of the military in the fight against terrorism.
Williams said the group, after critical and painstaking analysis of the report of the Amnesty International based on available facts arising from on-the-spot assessment in the war against terrorism, unequivocally declared that the report was devoid of truth.
He said the report of Amnesty International was only aimed at discrediting the giant stride achieved so far by the Nigerian Military in the fight against insurgency in the North-East.
“We reject totally the report of Amnesty International indicting notable officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces for war crimes in the fight against Boko Haram in the North-East between March 2011 and 2014.
“This report has been found to be lopsided, lacking in basic facts and bereft of fundamental understanding of how the war against insurgency has been fought and almost won in Nigeria.
“Our investigations and independent assessment on the war on terror in Nigeria, however, is at sharp variance with the report of Amnesty International.
“The activities of the military based on our investigations have helped to save thousands of lives, taken back lost territories and restored hope to a once hopeless people,” Williams said.
