International Criminal Court wants to demoralize Nigerian troops in fight against terrorists-Chief of Army staff

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai has called on Nigerian soldiers to ignore the statement credited to the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging that she has found a reasonable basis to believe that “members of the Nigerian Security Forces (“NSF”)” have committed acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Penpushing reports that, Buratai who is currently in self-isolation as part of precaution against the coronavirus stated this in a statement on Saturday, adding that the credited statement to the Prosecutor General was aimed to distract the gallant officers

‘The Nigerian Army’s attention has been drawn to a Press Release by the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday 12 December 2020, alleging that she has found a reasonable basis to believe that “members of the Nigerian Security Forces (“NSF”)” have committed acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes’.

Penpushing further reports, the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sagir Musa, in a counter statement pointed out that the statement by the Prosecutor General was immediately followed by a release by the local branch of Amnesty International (AI) in Nigeria “demanding full investigation of atrocities by Nigerian forces.”

‘There is no doubt such statement and instigation can distract the Nigerian Army troops with its demoralising effects.  It will have negative consequences on troops morale, interest in military service by Nigerians and severe setback to all our internal security operations in the country’, the statement reads.

The Chief of Army Staff enjoined Nigerian Army troops to ignore the distractions and call on the gallant troops never to be worried or demoralized by these moves,assuring them that he would soon be join troops in the North East at the end of the mandatory isolation period to continue giving the desired leadership and support to the gallant and patriotic troops of the Nigerian Army.

Penpushing also reports that, Buratai declared that the army must fight on to secure the country and people, calling on the troops to ignore the wicked, unnecessary distractions and direct troops to fully concentrate on the final defeat of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists group which is in sight.

The Chief of Army Staff charged the troops to work hard and be guided by the constitution of Nigeria, the rules of engagement, the code of conduct and the standing operating procedures for all Nigerian Army Operations.

The statement said, the Chief of Army Staff assured and reiterated that the Nigerian Army is not only protecting human rights but also sustaining human rights nationally and globally, stressing that, ‘our professional conduct over the years and most recently during the #ENDSARS protest at Lekki Village near Lagos are clear testimonies to the Nigerian Army’s posture on promoting sustainable human rights policy’.

Penpushing reports that, the Nigerian Army in the statement advised  local or international organisations not to allow themselves be used to destabilize or destroy the troops’ morale by the sponsors of mischief in Nigeria.

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