Former Theatre Commander of Operation Lafia Dole, Major General Abdulwahab Mohammed Dikko (rtd) on Wednesday ruled out any foul play on the part of the military with regard to Reuters’ allegation of 10,000 abortion of pregnancies, infanticide and other Sexual and Gender Based Violence against the Armed Forces.
According to the retired General, Reuters report lacks credibility because there would not have been any reason for the Nigerian military to further push the already vulnerable population in the North East to more agony, by committing the aforesaid atrocities and human rights violations as alleged.
Testifying before the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in the Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East chaired by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd), General Dikko who was also the Director Peacekeeping Operation in the Nigerian Army stated that it only takes a fake operative in military uniform to wreak the magnitude of havoc and human rights violation alleged in Reuters’ report.
“I want to lend credence to this possibility because one of the intentions of the insurgents is to turn the people against the institutions of government, for example, the military that is being investigated today. The intent is to discredit the Nigerian military in order to get support from their international partners.
Buttressing his point, the former Commander Nigerian Army Training Centre maintained that, Nigeria Military is highly professional and have participated and is still participate in various peacekeeping operations and it has never been found wanting in any form but rather continued to receive commendations and awards for robust and professional military operations.
Continuing, the retired top military Officer also denied any form of attack or violations on children as alleged in Reuters’ report, saying that it will be unthinkable for women to relax while their children were reportedly smothered by some military personnel in the course of operation.
Asked by the Secretary of the panel who also double as a counsel for the panel if he ever heard alleged abortion programme by the Nigerian government and executed by the military, he said “I did not take any interest in Reuter’s allegation and I have not heard about any abortion programme allegedly facilitated by the military”.
Further testifying before the 7-Member panel, he said our officers are not capable of participating in the alleged abortion programme, pointing out that “the military operation in the North East was conceived as a stabilization operation and significant successes have been made in liberating civilians from Boko Haram captivity. Some of the communities where the civilian populace were assisted by the military to return, he stated, include Damasak, Kukawa , Baga and Monguno which he noted were majorly in Northern Borno.
“This marked the takeover of the communities and grand breaking ceremony was organised leading to the voluntary return of people from the various IDPs camps back to their original inhabitants”, he stated.
He also denied any possibility of revenge on citizens despite the pressure on the military in the theatre of operations, insisting that the professional nature of the Nigerian military does not permit any room for revenge as a result of any kind of stress associated with military operation.
Asked by a team of military counsel comprising Abdulwahab Muhammed, SAN (lead counsel), Musa Kallah Mohammed and A.M. Adogi if the military has a standing rule during operations and to which the Officers and Soldiers are conversant with, he answered in the affirmative saying that the military operatives carry out their assignments in line with the standard practice.
In conclusion, General Dikko who was the erstwhile Commander of Operation Last Hold before he exited in November 2018 affirmed that it will be unethical for anybody to think that the military is so porous for such violations to occurred or let alone encouraged.
