The Nigerian Army Tuesday said it had killed 37 suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect in air and land attacks in one of its camps in a village in Borno State.
This came as the federal government yesterday said the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern part of the country was externally-induced.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), disclosed this while presenting the nation's report before the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
However, the army in a statement by its acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations (APR), Captain Aliyu Ibrahim Danja, said the onslaught was on the terrorists camp in Alagarno village.
It added that after the onslaught, about 37 suspected terrorists were killed while several others fled with gunshot wounds.
The troops also recovered several arms and ammunition with the destruction of three Hilux vehicles and motorcycles belonging to the suspects.
The incident, which took place on Monday, left many people living around the village scampering for safety as the operation was carried out by a coordinated ground and air assaults by the troops on the terrorists camp.
The army moted that no civilian was hurt or injured during the three-hour operation as the operation was restricted to the isolated camp of the terrorists.
Danja in the statement said: "Based on available intelligence, troops of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, launched an attack on terrorists camp in Alagarno, the operation which commenced on October 21, involved a coordinated ground and air assaults by our troops in conjunction with 79 Composite Group, Nigerian Air Force Maiduguri, destroyed the terrorist's Camp.
"A total of 37 terrorists were killed in the fire fight while several others fled with gunshot wounds," Danja stated.
He added that three Hilux vehicles and several motorcycles belonging to the terrorists were destroyed by the troops.
Danja also confirmed the reported attack by the sect on motorists and passengers last Sunday in Logomari villages of Gamboru- Ngala- Dikwa Local Government Areas of the state, but, however, dismissed the figure that 20 people were killed, insisting that only four civilians were killed and two persons injured in the process.
Meanwhile, Adoke however, did not specify the external people behind the insurgency.
The minister’s position is considered a tactical shift from its earlier position to the effect that the insurgency was being sponsored by some Nigerian politicians of northern extraction.
Suffice to point out that security agents had in the past linked some of the insurgents to al-Qaeda.
While addressing the concern of the international community on the possible violation of people's rights in the fight against terrorism, Adoke said although fighting the insurgent had been a challenge, law enforcement agents had been mandated to respect human rights.
He said the law enforcement agencies have been mandated to observe human rights while combating terrorism.
Adoke assured the international community that Nigeria was winning the war against terrorism.
He listed measures already put in place by the federal government to address the insurgency.
These measures, he stated, included the declaration of state of emergency in affected states, deployment of a Joint Task Force (JTF) and a Special Task Force (STF), introduction of amnesty to dissuade terrorists and other extremists from violence.
Despite the assurance from the government, many countries still expressed concern at the security situation in the country especially the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
They urged Nigeria to uphold human rights in its response to the insurgency.
Delegation from many countries also expressed concerns at the level of prison congestion and detention of people without trial.
In his response, Adoke said the justice sector was being reformed to make sure cases were determined promptly.
He added that men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force were being retrained to respect people's rights.
Countries also expressed concern at extra-judicial killing by security agents in Nigeria and also called for the reinstatement of moratorium on death penalty.
They particularly expressed concern at the execution of convicts in Edo State recently.
In his response, Adoke said Nigeria does not condone extra-judicially.
He stated that security agents who killed extra-judicially were punished.
He also explained that Nigeria operated a federal system of government and that states still had capital punishment in their statute books and that the best the federal government could do was to persuade them to observe the moratorium on death penalty.
Source: Thisdaylive
June 29, 2013, 08:05:08 AM