The Federal Government has pledged to continue to respect Human rights provisions in its fight against insurgency in the country.

The Minister of Interior, retired Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the pledge on Tuesday in Abuja when Mr Netsanet Belay, Africa Director, Research and Advocacy, Amnesty International, paid him a courtesy visit.

Dambazau said that since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the issue of rule of law, transparency and human rights had been his watch word in the discharge of his duties.

He said that the Armed Forces and other security agencies had been warned on the need to respect human rights and rules of engagement in prosecuting the fight against insurgency in the North-East.

Dambazau maintained that the protection and collaboration of the civilian population was key to achieving success in the North-East.

He attributed the alleged human rights abuses by the military in the North-East to the nefarious tactics of the Boko Haram members who disguised in army uniforms for their operations.

The minister assured that a lot was being done to arrest the ugly trend and restore peace and stability to the North-East and the country.

He assured that investigation into the Amnesty reports on human right abuses was being looked into by the present administration in line with international best practice.

Earlier, Mr Netsanet Belay, Africa Director, Research and Advocacy, Amnesty International, said the visit was part of his advocacy against crime and terrorism in the country.

Belay called on the Federal Government to act fast on its 2015 report and other reports with a view to correcting the human right abuses of the past and forestall future ones.

He recalled that its report had highlighted human right abuses by soldiers operating in the North-East which include torture, extra judicial killing and arbitrary arrest and detention of civilians.

He, however, stressed that contrary to reports in the media, Amnesty International had always condemned the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists which could be termed as crimes against humanity.

Belay commended the Buhari administration for its efforts to look into human rights abuses as it seeks to win the war against insurgency in the country. (NAN)

•Photo shows Dambazau.

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