By; BUHARI B. BELLO, Jos
The Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Nigerian Army, Major Gen. Markus E Kangye, has said that the creation of the Department of Civil-Military Affairs in the Nigerian Army has significantly ensured reduction of cases of human rights violations, abuses and extra-judicial killings among military personnel during internal operations.
Speaking during the second quarter 2023 Civil-Military Cooperation Media Chat of the Army headquarters, organized in jos, Plateau State, he explained that most of the challenges militating against civil-military cooperation in Nigeria have been eliminated or reduced to the barest. level
The Army chief said, “The civil-military relations in Nigeria is working. It is achieving positive results, especially since the department was created because the litigation and reports about Nigerian Army personnel that were received during the last quarter by the Legal Department has significantly reduced.
“Unlike before, probably in a quarter, you may have 10 or 11 cases of alleged human rights violations against the Nigerian Army personnel that has significantly reduced.”
He noted that the media plays a significant role in national and international development, noting that the successes recorded in the media engagements and sensitization of the military personnel nationwide is remarkable.
“We go to various military formations to sensitize our soldiers on the laws of armed conflict, international humanitarian laws, and rules of engagement as well as code of conduct in every internal security operation,” he explained.
The 2023 second quarter media chat had the theme, “Media as a Critical Tool in Addressing Insecurity in Nigeria”.
The event drew participants from different media organizations from across the country and the military high command, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Faruk Yahaya, who declared the event open.
Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs was established in 2010 with the objective tailored towards enhancing the credibility and integrity of the Nigerian Army as a strategic conflict mediator and resolution stakeholder in the country and beyond.
The department has so far interacted with the civil populace through various programmes such as seminars, workshops, CIMIC intervention projects and media chat amongst others.
Accordingly, the department is holding a media chat in order to share ideas on the role of the media in addressing insecurity in Nigeria.
It also aims at keeping the media abreast with the gains made by the NA along the non-kinetic lines of operation, as well as the pace kept with the observance of human rights laws and laws of armed conflict by personnel.
