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| Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru |
Insists no extra-judicial killings in North-east
By Senator Iroegbu and Damilola Oyedele
The federal government has said the constitutional provision
that permits the death penalty cannot suddenly be altered based on the
criticism of human right groups and some western nations.
Speaking after the opening ceremony of a forum on the Second
Cycle of Nigeria’s Universal Periodic Review which opened in Abuja, Friday,
foreign affairs minister, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, said it's ironic that Nigeria's
criminal code being condemned today was handed down by Britain, its colonial
master.
Also, it emerged
Friday that given the huge success recorded by the military in the fight
against insurgency in Nigeria's North-east, the federal government may soon
wound down the emergency rule declared in parts of that region, with full
authority returned to "civil rule" in the affected states .
This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by the minister of
defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, while speaking at the "Ministerial
Platform" on the activities and programmes of her ministry.
Ashiru argued that Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole,
acted within his constitutional responsibilities by signing the execution
warrants for the men whose crimes, he said, were both heinous and inhuman.
Oshiomhole last week approved the execution of four convicts
on death row, few days after President Goodluck Jonathan urged governors to
sign the warrant for inmates on death row in their states.
The execution had outraged rights advocacy groups and some
foreign nations including Britain, with the most vocal condemnation coming from
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Both had campaigned against the
hangings which they described as a violation of human dignity.
Ashiru explained that even though there was an unwritten
moratorium on executions, all clauses in the constitution remain in force until
the constitution is reviewed.
“The constitution is supreme, and the criminal code we
follow was handed down to us by the colonial powers at the time. So until the
status books are reviewed, until the constitution is reviewed, there is nothing
anybody can do. The governor acted within his constitutional powers,” he said.
Speaking earlier in his opening remarks at the forum, the
minister said that no country or group can force its traditions on Nigeria,
noting that it's gratifying that most African countries have refused to accept
gay rights issues.
"Suddenly they are talking of gay rights, we must stand
by our own customs and traditions. If they want to have gay rights, fine; but
we must follow our own constitution," he said.
"If you talk of gay rights, how about those who want to
go polygamous? In some countries, a person would go to jail for having two
wives, but it's part of our custom here. We must not shy away from discussing
these issues," Ashiru said.
He urged participants at the forum who would present the
human rights report to the UN Council in Geneva in October not to shy away from
discussing any issue.
“Why are they complaining that certain clauses are still in
the constitution? How long did it take them to evolve from those issues for
which they are suddenly champions? Remind them of their own history, of slave
trade where they took away our human capital, and of colonialism,” he said.
Ashiru also insisted that the military has not committed any
act of extra judicial killings as being alleged by some human rights groups.
The Nigerian Armed Forces, he said, is a tested institution whose conduct and
record in peace keeping operations around the world is unassailable.
“That is why there are a lot of arrests. If there are no
arrests, then you can suspect that extra-judicial killing is happening. We have
challenged all these groups that make these allegations to provide evidence,
they have not been able to do so,” he added.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Obada explained that the
emergency rule declared in the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and
Yobe has recorded 99 per cent success as the troops of the Joint Task Force
(JTF) has been able to dislodge the Boko Haram insurgents.
According to her, the military operation codenamed Operation
Boyona, which was launched to curb the excesses of Boko Haram has been a huge
success.
She also used the opportunity to emphasise that despite the
rapid success recorded by the military in the affected states, the troops have
observed the rules of engagement and respect for human rights.
She said: "The insurgents, as you are all aware, have
been dislodged from their stronghold at Sambisa forest.
"Now I must emphasise that we are observing the rules
of engagement, and recognise that we are fighting fellow Nigerians (the
insurgents). However we must ensure that we go back to the way we used to be
and that our nation is united and peaceful.
"We have therefore recorded about 99 per cent success
in the areas we have this state of emergency and in no distant time would
return them back to civil rule," she assured.
The minister also stated that enhanced protection of oil and
gas facilities through increased air and ground patrols of pipeline networks to
deter vandals from sabotage have led to the arrest of 1,653 suspects and
destruction of 3,778 illegal refineries within the last one year.
"Similarly, 120 barges, 878 boats, 161 tanker trucks,
178 illegal fuel dumps and 5,238 surface tanks were destroyed by the JTF,"
she said.
Obada disclosed that the government has deployed about 5,000
troops in nine United Nations Peacekeeping missions in various parts of the
world, adding that Nigeria's troops' rating which had been downgraded as a
result of breakdown and faulty contingent owned equipment, particularly in
Darfur, Sudan, has improved with over 80 per cent approval rating by the United
Nations
"Nigeria is one of the largest contributors of
peacekeeping in the world and it has been since the days of Congo. But some
years back, some of our contingent-owned equipment broke down and our ratings
came down, but for a year now efforts have been made to fix those equipment and
army engineers have sent that. Right now, our rating has actually gone up that
United Nations gave us about 80 per cent rating. However, we are actually
gunning for 90 per cent," she said.
"To this end, the armed forces of Nigeria is
participating in nine United Nations Peacekeeping missions within and outside
Africa with about 5,000 officers and men including military hardware deployed
to various missions in the period under review," she added.
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