He said from the findings of the panel instituted by the army, the allegation by former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), that troops connived with herdsmen to kill hapless inhabitants of some communities in the state did not reflect the true situation of things.
Addressing journalists on the executive summary of the report, Buratai said the army and the Commanding Officer of 93 Battalion, Taraba State, performed their duties diligently, professionally and without bias.
Gen. Buratai, who was represented at the briefing by the Chief of Civil Military Relations, Maj. Gen. Nuhu Amgbaso, said: “It will be recalled that the Nigerian Army has been conducting operations to tackle the security challenges in the North West, North Central and North Eastern regions of Nigeria.
“However, in the process of conducting the operations in Taraba State, concerns were raised by some government officials and very senior citizens of the state on the approach of the Nigerian Army.
“In view of these allegations, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, set up a 10-man Panel comprising senior Army officers (both serving and retired) and members from the National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association and other Civil Society Organisations, to investigate the veracity of the allegations made against the Nigerian Army.
“The Panel was inaugurated on 9 April 2018, and it visited government officials, security agencies and other stakeholders covering the three senatorial zones of Taraba State, including His Excellency the Governor of Taraba State.
“The major findings of the Investigation Panel were as follows:
*. There was no collusion on the part of the Nigerian Army and units operating in Taraba State with any bandit(s) as stated by Lieutenant General TY Danjuma (Retired).
*. There were few instances where locals drag soldiers outside strict military duties to intervene in civil disputes.
*. There was good collaboration, synergy and cooperation between the Nigeria Army and other security agencies operating in Taraba State.
*.There is sustained media campaign to belittle the military operations in Taraba State.
* Most of the crises over the years in Taraba State were particularly in Takum, Wukari, Ussa, Donga and Sardauna local government areas.
*. There was absence of Nigerian Army deployments in some crises prone areas in the hinterland in Taraba State.
*. The Nigeria-Cameroon common borders in Taraba State were porous.
*. There was a massive proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Taraba State, some of which have been recovered from warring parties, criminals and unauthorised persons.
*. Troops deployed in Taraba State for Operation MESA were not paid RCA by the state government since February 2018.
*. There was inadequate communication equipment in the units which impedes Nigerian Army operations.
*. Some of the localities in the hinterland in Taraba State were not accessible by road.
*. The Commanding Officer 93 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel IB Gambari, commands his unit effectively and professionally and was only being vilified by some people/government of Taraba State for his refusal to act outside his professional duties or do the biddings of some government officials.
*. Lieutenant General TY Danjuma (Retired) could not be accessed by the Panel.
*. The Executive Governor of Taraba State made several attempts to ensure the removal of the Commanding Officer of 93 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel IB Gambari from command for his refusal to be dragged into the state politics.
*. Taraba State is highly heterogeneous and divided along ethno-religious lines.
*. The Chairman of Takum LGA, Hon Shiban Tikari, made several attempts to undermine the authority of the Commanding Officer 93 Battalion through some officers of the unit.
*. The troops have a good understanding of the Code of Conduct/Rule of Engagement.
*. There were security breaches/clashes in Taraba State till date which has necessitated the deployment of troops in the state.
*. The responses of Nigerian Army troops deployed to forestall these crises were commendable despite daunting challenges.
*. The 20 Battalion operating at Sardauna Local Government Area lacks combat motorcycles.
*. Some of the challenges facing the units operating in Taraba State include terrain, inadequate intelligence, inadequate communication and manpower problem.
*. There was verifiable evidence that 2 Nigerian Air Force helicopters with registration numbers NAF 574 and NAF 575 landed in Gembu on 15 March 2018 and 11 April 2018 respectively without the knowledge of the local authority.
*. The Nigerian Air Force helicopters and personnel that landed in Gembu area were for the proposed establishment of Nigerian Air Force Base at Gembu.
*. Dairies and other relevant documents pertaining to some major security breaches/clashes were maintained by units operating in the state, however the units did not document the after-action review.”
Gen. Buratai also said the panel recommended that Army Headquarters should, among others, “device a means to be independent in its operation across Nigeria so as to insulate soldiers from the overbearing influence of politicians in government, especially with particular reference to sponsorship of Nigerian Army operations in states.”
He added: “The Nigerian Army in keeping with its roles as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution will continue to engage stakeholders in Taraba State to find a lasting solution to crises in the state. There is also a need for the Nigerian Police Force and other prosecuting agencies to prosecute all the suspects arrested in Taraba State for involvement in various crises.
“It is the opinion of the Army Headquarters that the Investigation Panel did a thorough job. The Army Headquarters therefore upholds the recommendations of the Panel.
“The general public is enjoined to note that the Nigerian Army is a formidable institution and the pride of the nation.
“The Army will not rest on its oars when responding to the security challenges in the country. In synergy with other security agencies, the Nigerian Army will continue to work towards ensuring that the security and territorial integrity of our nation is guaranteed.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to reiterate its loyalty and subordination to civil authority in carrying out its constitutional roles and responsibilities.”
The panel, which comprised serving and retired army personnel, representatives of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), was set up on April 10 following the March 24 allegations by General Danjuma at the convocation of Taraba State University in Jalingo.
Danjuma, a former chief of army staff and native of Taraba, had said on that occasion: “You must rise to protect yourselves from these people.
“If you depend on the Armed Forces to protect you, you will all die.
“This ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba, and it must stop in Nigeria.
“These killers have been protected by the military. They cover them and you must be watchful to guide and protect yourselves because you have no any other place to go.
“The ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play.
“I ask all of you to be on your alert and defend your country, defend your state.”
He was reacting to the spate of killings in Taraba, Benue, Adamawa and Kaduna states.
The army had in its first response on March 25 to the Danjuma allegations labelled them unfortunate.
It urged Nigerians not to heed Danjuma’s advice, saying: “The Nigerian Army views this statement made by the former Chief of Army Staff as most unfortunate at this critical time that the military has embarked upon demilitarisation of the North Central Region of the Country.
“While Nigerian Army would not want to join issues with the elder statesman, however, certain facts need to be clearly stated in the interest of Taraba people and the Nigerian public.”
The statement added: “In this light, the authorisation for the conduct of Ex AYEM AKPATUMA was authorised and troops deployed to curb menace of the herdsmen-farmers conflict and other criminal activities in the North Central Region amongst others.
“The ENDNigerian Army advises the people of Taraba State and indeed all other Nigerians to continue in their day-to-day activities and be law abiding, as anyone caught with arms and ammunition will be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.”
