The Commander of the Brigade of Guards, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, while insisting that the uncompleted building in Apo area of Abuja, which was raided by security operatives on September 20, 2013 had indeed been occupied by members of the Boko Haram sect, has also expressed regrets over the killing of civilians during the raid.
Over three months after a team of security agents raided an uncompleted building in Apo area of Abuja, security agents are yet to recover ammunition, which led to the killing of 11 of the squatters there.
At the public hearing by the National Human Rights Commission to examine the incident, the Army commander explained why the security operatives made the decision to raid the building and how they went about it.
The hearing was in continuation of an investigation by the NHRC into the killing when a combined team of the Army and the Department of State Security raided the uncompleted building.
The panel, presided over by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the NHRC, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, sought to find out if the operatives recovered the weapons, which led to the raid in the first place.
The NHRC also sought to know if the victims were members of the Boko Haram sect.
Representing the Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, and giving a testimony on behalf of the Nigerian Army, Atewe said that a suspected Boko Haram member alleged to be living in the building is still at large.
He said: “The Apo incident was unfortunate.
“The security agents acted proactively to prevent an incident, which would have caused panic in Abuja.
“Our troops have no reason to kill anybody in covert operations.
“We always exercise restraint.
“The Apo incident was an isolated incident.
“Evidence abound that there were terrorists in the building.”
While the NHRC is still investigating the incident, relations of the victims of the Apo killings have demanded that the Federal Government pay N500 million as compensation and offer a public apology that the victims were innocent and not members of the Boko Haram sect.
The killing has raised concerns about military operations in fighting terrorism.
Channels Television.
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