The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has said the protection of civilians and their basic rights require special attention as it takes up a lot of field commanders’ time.
He noted that the service involves interfacing with human rights advocacy groups in all theatres of operations to ensure the issues are well understood and put into practice.
Lagbaja spoke at an event organised by the Army themed, ‘National Security and the Complexities of Human Rights’ in Abuja on Wednesday.
Represented by the Chief of Administration Army, Maj. Gen. Jimmy Akpor, Lagbaja, noted that the Army was trained to conduct operations in line with humanitarian laws and authorised rules of engagement.
Lagbaja said, “The Nigerian Army Human Rights Seminar was conceptualised to engage organizations, security agencies, media, and other stakeholders involved in human rights advocacy and the protection of civilians in conflict areas on the issues relating to human rights during conflicts. The protection of civilians and their basic rights requires special attention as it takes up a lot of field commanders’ time.
“Our troops are also deployed to checkmate the activities of the separatist IPOB in the Southeast while carrying out operations to deal with ethnic and occupational-based conflicts in the North Central region of the country. The South-South and South West also have crises of militancy, cultism, and oil theft as well as an assortment of well-armed criminals.
“These deployments involve kinetic and non-kinetic approaches that require collaboration between security agencies and all well-meaning individuals and organisations. I wish to state that securing a country within the ambit of the contemporary security environment involves harnessing the efforts of citizens in a ‘whole of the nation approach’ because the operations are conducted within civilian populated areas.”
This aspect of warfare and conflict management requires the harnessing of the potentials of other actors within the multi-dimensional operating environment. Hence, the articulation of my Command Philosophy seeks to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped, and highly motivated force achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment.
SOURCE: Punch
