- …As NIALS’ DG charges security operatives on rules of engagement
By Sunday Ejike Benjamin
The federal government has reiterated its commitment to the operations of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), while speaking at the 5th Diaspora Scholars’ Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), in Abuja recently said: “ Nigeria’s commitment to the fight against impunity and war crimes remains very strong”.
Adoke, who was represented at the occasion by Prof. Deji Adekunle, explained that, the office of the prosecutor found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that since 2009, Boko Haram terrorist group has committed crimes against humanity, in particular the crimes of murder and persecution on religious grounds.
In her presentation, the guest lecturer, Prof. Ngozi Chukwuka Ugo lamented the high level of impunity on the African continent.
Prof. Ugo noted that African continent remained a continent of paradox with conflicting economic and factual realities.
“The continent transited from the horrible era of colonial rule to independence, but Africa is currently bedeviled with the menace of exploitation by fellow Africans”.
In a related development, The NIALs boss, Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) has charged members of Course 7 of the Institute of Security Studies to observe the rules of engagement during military operations.
Prof. Azinge, who gave the charge while receiving members of Course 7 of the institute who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, said: “The military must observe human rights on the rules of engagement. You must subordinate to civilian authority”.
On the issue of capital punishment for kidnappers in some states of the country, Prof. Azinge said NIALS does not support death penalty as it does not really solve the problem, adding that, “We are opposed to death penalty as an institution”.
Responding, the leader of the delegation and Director of the institute, Mr. Olalekan Odugbemi thanked the Institute for the audience, adding that the visit was part of the itinerary of programmes for the Course 7 participants of his institute, to draw knowledge on both security and legal implications of the rules of engagement.
