From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Amnesty International (AI), has been given a 7-day notice to leave Nigeria over alleged false reportage against Nigerian troops in the fight against terrorism.
The notice given by a civil rights group known as Conference of Nigeria Civil Society for Peace, Human Rights and National Unity, flayed AI’s 2020 report in which it accused the Nigerian troops of violating the rights of Nigerians in the North East under the guise of fighting bandits.
The group’s National Coordinator Professor Wole Ajayi and National Secretary, Barr. Festus Nwanko, in a statement on Sunday, described AI’s latest report as “another blatant, callous, mischievous, and
Ajayi vowed to explore all necessary avenues within the Nigerian law to send AI packing from the shore of the country.
“Our attention has been drawn to yet another blatant, callous, mischievous, and premeditated falsehood against Nigeria military by a suspected Boko Haram collaborators and financiers, the Amnesty International local branch in Nigeria.
“AI has been engaged in several unfounded allegations ranging from unlawful executions of innocent Nigerian citizens, arson, rape, unlawful detention of elderly people in the military facility by the military authority in the North East”,among others all in its bid to ensure the terrorists gain upper hand in the war.
“Nothing can be further from the truth like these sponsored allegations.
” We wish to condemned the report in its entirety. We pass a vote of confidence on our gallant troops fighting in the North East and other parts of the country.
“It is in the character of Amnesty International local branch to publish deliberate falsehood against our military and Nigerian state on a yearly basis just to justify their grants and financial support from Boko Haram and its sponsors around the world.
“We are more aware of their agenda now than ever before, but we have a message for them, that Nigeria belongs to us and we will do everything possible including shading our blood to protect its sovereignty and unity.
“We will never again allow agents of darkness like Amnesty International and its collaborator disunite us so that terrorists will take over our country..
“Our troops remain one of the most professional troops in the world who have been tested and trusted by several international countries through peace keeping missions and foreign collaborations. These are verifiable facts for Amnesty International to check if they are concerned about a good work.”
He claimed that, AI’s report “is a hasty and hatchet job done just to criminalize our selfless troops fighting to defeat Boko Haram which Amnesty International is working for, hence the concocted lies to weaken our soldiers.
“As civil society organizations in Nigeria ,we reject the report in its entirety. We wish to further remind the AI that we have one country and one national army hence we will not allow any group of people working for their selfish and financial interest undermine our troops and national security. It is unacceptable and we will not take it.
“If Ai is a sincere human rights organization, how comes they are quiet about the death of our soldiers and other security agencies in the North East? Why have we not heard AI’s lound voice on the killings of about 36 policemen and 6 soldiers during the #EndSARS protests?
“On a daily basis, our troops are killed by terrorists and other criminals yet the AI is quite. Who’s interest is Amnesty International serving? Certainly, it is the interest of enemy of Nigeria and we cannot take it because if Nigeria is allowed to burn today, Amnesty International will move back to its country or origin.
“We can not allow any terrorists’ sponsors like AI hide under human rights protection to undermine our national security.
“Our hospitality has been abused and there is a need for urgent action before we lose our country. Consequently, we wish to give Amnesty International 7 days to vacate Nigeria shore, failure to do so will attract severe consequence.”