From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Thursday that offering amnesty to repentant terrorists, bandits, and other criminals is not the constitutional responsibility of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Markus Kangye, made this known, stating that the military does not engage in amnesty of any kind.
He said, “We are to do our job according to our rules of engagement, according to our operational directives. And if, from the operations conducted, people are arrested and handed over, and an amnesty is to be given to them, it’s not the military that determines that.”
It was recalled that reports emerged of bandit commanders in Katsina State surrendering and releasing hostages in exchange for amnesty.
Gen. Kangye, while answering journalists’ questions on military operations conducted in the country in the last three months, clarified that while the development reflects the success of both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, offering amnesty to bandits is not within the military’s mandate.
“Their cases will be studied, and based on that merit, the agencies of government responsible for giving amnesty will do that. It is not for the military to determine whether to give amnesty or not. That is not part of our operation.”
On why the military is yet to release detained leaders of the Okuama community, where 17 soldiers were killed during a peace operation in the community despite a court order, the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, who was also present at the briefing, explained that the military had not received the court order in question, despite reports of its issuance.
Gen. Gusau said, “The DHQ has not received any court injunction in respect of that.”
“If we get it, we have our legal team, which will advise us on the next step to take. But for now, we don’t have such a court injunction being served to us.”
When asked further why the military wouldn’t allow community members to visit the detained leaders, the defence spokesman replied that no such request had been made to the military.
He said, “There was no request forwarded to the Defence Headquarters on that.”
“Maybe, perhaps, the request is only on the pages of newspapers.
“There is a procedure for everything; if they follow the procedure, we will respond appropriately.”
On March 14, four officers and 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush in Okuama, a community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, during a peace mission by the deceased. The killings attracted widespread condemnation by Nigerians. The military, thereafter, stormed the community and arrested alleged perpetrators of the heinous act.