18th October, 2017
Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State, on Wednesday, said the military had been a major stakeholder in the state’s socioeconomic project since the past five decades.
El-Rufai made this remark when he received the Presidential Investigation Panel, reviewing the compliance of the Armed Forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement in Kaduna.
He said that the military had succeeded in restoring peace in the state, particularly at such times when civil authorities were unable to restore order
The governor attributed the military’s success to the availability of the various military installations in the state.
“Kaduna has the largest concentration of military installations in Nigeria and we have enjoyed excellent civil-military relations in the state.
“Therefore, we will continue to protect military integrity because the force had served us well,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the panel, Justice Biobele Georgewill, said they were in Kaduna for the North-West zone public hearing.
The governor added that the panel would also receive memorandum from the people and stakeholders across the zone.
He disclosed that the panel’s core mandate was to review extant rules of engagement, applicable in the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the extent of compliance.
“We are to investigate the alleged acts of violence of international humanitarian and human rights law and other relevant laws by the Armed Forces in local conflicts and insurgencies,” he said.
He noted that the panel would recommend the means of preventing violations of human rights in conflict situations in line with its terms of reference.
The committee was inaugurated on Aug. 11 by the then Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.
He said so far, the committee had been to the five different geo-political zones of the country with Lagos as its last point of call.