Army To Punish Soldiers Maltreating Civilian In Nasarawa

The Nigerian Army has pledged to deal with its officers caught on camera maltreating a robbery suspect on Saturday in Nasarawa State.

A photograph of the incident was published on Monday on the front page of Daily Trust newspaper and the army authorities are furious over the way the issue was given prominence by the journal.

In a statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Daily Trust was accused of doing a “poor and worrisome editorial judgement” on the matter.

Usman however said “the Army has also reached out to the management of the newspaper,” pointing out that the paper should have alerted the “appropriate Nigerian Army authorities” rather than publish the picture.

According to the statement, “The perpetrators of the offence have been identified, summoned and would face disciplinary action.”

The Army described the incident, which precisely occurred at Mararraba as “unfortunate and at variance with military ethics and professionalism.” Usman added that it has “done incalculable damage to the image of the service.”

The statement concluded by assuring the “public that the Nigerian Army would continue to protect and respect human rights and that this regrettable incidence should not be used as a yardstick to judge the entire Army.”

In a June 2015 report, the Amnesty International accused the Nigerian Army of human rights abuses, which the Force vehemently denied.