The Defence Headquarters has extended an open invitation to Amnesty International following allegations it made that 10,000 civilians died in military detention camps.

According to the spokesman of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, the attention of the Defence Headquarters was drawn to “some spurious allegations” made by Amnesty International during a press conference held on December 5, 2024.

General Buba stated, “It was alleged that, since the onset of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria (NE), over ten thousand civilians died in Nigerian military detention facilities, among other spurious allegations.

“The Armed Forces views the pronouncements by Amnesty International as shocking, lacking in merit, as well as mischievous, particularly as it is coming at this ending cycle stage of the counterterrorism war in the NE.

“Though the Armed Forces is not willing to trade words with Amnesty International, it is of utmost necessity to set the records straight.

“The Nigerian military is a professional force, which conducts its operations within the dictates of international humanitarian law and the laws of armed conflicts.

“Though the operational environment has been complex and challenging, troops have painstakingly abided by the rules of engagement to extensively avoid civilian casualties in whatever shape or form.

“Additionally, whenever arrests are made, suspects are profiled, after which the suspects are handed over to the appropriate agency for release or prosecution.

“As a deterrence to unethical conduct, there are standing court martials within the operational theatres to ensure justice is immediately administered to any erring personnel during operations.

“Overall, it is necessary to reiterate that the Armed Forces, under the able leadership of the CDS, General Christopher Musa, remains professional in carrying out its constitutional mandates in line with global best practices.

“On the whole, the Armed Forces invites Amnesty International to substantiate the details of the allegations. This will enable the military to conduct an inquiry in order to determine the authenticity or otherwise of the made allegations.”