The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, says his troops must respect human rights in the counter-insurgency operation against Boko Haram terrorists in the North East Zone.

A statement issued on Tuesday by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, said Irabor made the assertion when he received the representative of the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, in Maiduguri.

Irabor said that the provisions of the Operation’s code of conduct and rules of engagement were testimonials to the professional and positive disposition of the command and its troops to human rights and international humanitarian laws in the conduct of the war against terrorism.

He said that compliance with human rights and other laws of conflict had been brought into the mainstream of training in the Nigerian Army.

“Aside the code of conduct which has been adequately distributed to troops, the Nigerian Army has also established Human Rights Desks at the Army Headquarters and Divisional Headquarters,’’ he added.

He reiterated that military duties revolved around personal and national sacrifice.

Irabor, however, expressed dismay that the military which had volunteered to sacrifice for peace and development of the nation was being perceived in some quarters as willingly violating human rights.

He assured the commission of the willingness of the Theatre Command to partner it in promoting human rights accountability in the North East Zone.

Ojukwu, on his part, said the commission was pleased to acknowledge that the military was already conscious of the need to carry out the counter-insurgency operation with utmost respect for human rights.

He noted that respect for human rights was beneficial to both the military and Nigeria in general.

Ojukwu commended the army for initiating the quarterly human rights dialogue with the commission, saying it had further enhanced the human rights disposition of the force.

Source: Today