Shiite Protest: Military, Police Reject Amnesty International’s Report

Shiite Protest: Military, Police Reject Amnesty
International’s Report

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND ITS NEGATIVE NARRATIVE
ON SHI’ITES, MILITARY CLASH
The Defence Headquarters wishes to respond to Amnesty International
(AI) reports in which the group alleged that the Nigerian military
and the police engaged in horrific use of excessive force that led
to the killing of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN),
popularly known as Shi’ites during ‘peaceful’ protests. The
worrisome narrative of the Amnesty International (AI) in matters of
national security and cohesion of Nigeria has continued unabated in
spite of verifiable evidences to the contrary. The Amnesty
international’s hate and disdain for peaceful co-existence of
Nigerians is manifested in the ways it consistently fabricates lies
and gives negative narrative of issues related to Nigeria’s
national security and its military. The AI report is not a true
reflection of what transpired in the last few days.

For the sake of the good people of Nigeria and the international
community who quest for the truth, what the AI “cooked up” in that
report is a figment of its own imagination to further paint Nigeria
black among the comity of nations. The military has never been sent
to stop the protesting Shi’ites group at any given time. On the
events referred to by the AI, the soldiers were not after the
protesting Shi’ites, neither was there such number of
casualties.Instead, a convoy from the Army Headquarters Garrison
Abuja was conducting a routine shipment of ammunition and missiles
to a military formation in Kaduna escorted by troops when they ran
into the protesters at Zuba in FCT. The protesting Shi’ites
prevented the convoy from proceeding on its mission but rather
attempted to overrun the escorts to cart away the shipment. Hence,
the troops had to protect the goods and extricate themselves from
the imminent mob action by applying minimum force.

The following day, the IMN also had another confrontation with
the military at a popular checkpoint along Nyanya – Mararaba road
leading into the FCT. Everyone living in or transiting the FCT
knows that the military checkpoint had been established since 2014
after the Boko Haram Terrorist attack on Nyanya Motor Park.
Unfortunately, the group tried to overrun the checkpoint in which
the military resisted. In all these attacks, the IMN was the
aggressor while the military only acted in self defence. The
Shi’ites actions were planned and premeditated as the group were
aware of the existence of the military checkpoint and were prepared
to confront the soldiers. The casualty of IMN stands at 4 wounded
and 3 dead at Zuba while at the Nyanya – Mararaba road checkpoint,
3 died with 3 wounded. The military also had 6 of its personnel
seriously wounded and currently at intensive care.

The DHQ wishes to emphasize for the umpteenth time that the
narratives of the AI are outright falsehoods and calculated
attempts at whipping up sentiments and misleading unsuspecting
Nigerians as well as demoralizing friendly nations. The
organization has continued to churn out reports that are outside
the confines of the principles of objectivity, truth and balance
reportage which provides all sides to the story the way it
happened. Sadly, AI’s past activities in Nigeria and its negative
reportorial of the Nigerian Armed Forces is capable of emboldening
the IMN in its unwholesome activities. Also, what AI is doing could
stop friendly nations from collaborating with Nigeria in its war
against insurgency. The intentions of AI in Nigeria have remained
suspect as the organization is always silent on the other side of
issues.

Nigerians who witnessed how military troops on legitimate duty
came under unprovoked attacks from IMN members both in Zuba area of
the FCT on Sunday, 28 October 2018 and at a security checkpoint in
Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Monday, 29 October 2018 have videos and
images of wounded soldiers and damaged military vehicles with audio
commentaries. These are available in the public domain.

Unfortunately, Amnesty International did not see anything wrong
with these unprovoked subversive attacks on Nigerian military and
other innocent passersby but was quick to refer to the activitiesof
IMN from whom dangerous weapons and ammunition including Improvised
Explosive Devices (IED), guns, knives and cutlasses were recovered
as a peaceful protest. This goes further to prove the point that
Amnesty International does not mean well for Nigeria. This is also
in tandem with their previous reputation of denigrating the
security forces anytime they make gains against the forces of evil
to incite the Nigerian public and international community against
the Military.

The Defence Headquarters wishes to appeal to the general public
and the international community not to be carried away with AI’s
usual falsehood and blackmail which is calculated towards promoting
the forces of darkness to destabilize Nigeria.

​​​​​​
JOHN AGIM
Brigadier General
Acting Director Defence Information
…………………………………..

RE- Nigeria: Security forces must be held accountable
for killing of at least 45 peaceful Shi’a
protesters

· The Force rejects the Amnesty International report and
allegation against the Police on use of deadly force against IMN
members as untrue, absolute distortion and diversionary.

The attention of the Nigeria Police has been drawn to the
Amnesty International Report published on 31st October, 2018,
captioned “Nigeria: Security forces must be held accountable for
killing of at least 45 peaceful Shi’a protesters”.

The Nigeria Police Force after a careful study the entire report
and the allegation against the Police on paragraph 3 of the report
“We have seen a shocking and unconscionable use of deadly force by
soldiers and police against IMN members. Video footage and
eyewitness testimonies consistently show that the Nigerian military
dispersed peaceful gatherings by firing live ammunition without
warning, in clear violation of Nigerian and international law,”
said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria”

The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state categorically that the
allegation against the Police by the Amnesty International as
stated in paragraph 3 quoted above is in its entirety untrue,
misleading, a clear misrepresentation and absolute distortion of
facts to divert attention from the heinous crimes committed by the
El-Zazakky Group, which includeunprovoked attack on Police
personnel and the setting ablaze of Police vehicle in the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on 30thOctober, 2018 and disturbance
of public peace and public safety in and around the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), Abuja on the said date.

To set the record straight, there was no report of death in any
Police Station in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja from
the Police intervention and quelling of the disturbance of public
peace and public safety, and unrest created by the El-Zazakky group
in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the 30th of October,
2018.

The Force despite the height of provocation from the El-Zazakky
group and the setting ablaze of a Police patrol vehicle resist the
use of maximum force on the group but effected the arrest of Four
Hundred (400) members of the group for disturbance of public peace,
disruption of law and order in the Federal Capital Territory and
setting ablaze of Police patrol vehicle. Some of the members of the
El-Zazakky groups were also arrested with Thirty One (31) bottles
of petrol bombs, other dangerous weapons and illicit drugs. All
those arrested are being prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The Force sees the Amnesty International allegation against the
Police as deliberate and desperate attempt to cast aspersions on
the investigation and ongoing prosecution of the arrested members
of the El-Zazakky Group to pervert the end of justice.

The Nigeria Police Force will not be deterred from carrying its
statutory duties nor condone lawlessness, disturbance of public
peace and public safety by any group(s) under any guise that runs
contrary to the constitutional provisions and other enabling laws
on preservation of law and order and protection of lives and
property of all Nigerians.

The general public are hereby implored to disregard and
discountenance the allegation by Amnesty International that the
Police used deadly force against IMN members as untrue,
diversionary and distortion of fact.

For avoidance of doubt, the Force has continuously in the last
two (2) years contained several violent protests by the El-Zazakky
group using minimum force within the Federal Capital Territory and
in the process, some Police personnel sustained various degree of
injuries and some police vehicles damaged while preventing the
El-Zazakky group from causing breakdown of law and order in the
FCT. Some Police officers were killed in Kaduna and Kano States by
the El-Zazakky group within the same period. Aftermath of these
violent protests, the Police have always charged the arrested
members of the El-Zazakky group to Court. This can be verified by
the Amnesty International and the general public.

The Force will continue to operate within the ambit of the law
and ensure the diligent prosecution of the arrested members of the
El-Zazakky group on the 30th October, 2018 for acts and offences
prohibited under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013.

Ag. DCP JIMOH MOSHOOD
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA