US senator calls Nigerian soldiers ‘rapists’
Patrick Leahy – sponsor of the Leahy Law (or Leahy amendment) that prohibits the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing military assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity – believes that President Muhammadu Buhari’s opinion of the effect of the law on the war against Boko Haram is “misdirected”.
Leaahy said neither he nor the law could be blamed for the atrocities committed by the “murderers and rapists in the Nigerian military”.
“It is well-documented by the State Department and by respected human rights organisations that Nigerian army personnel have, for many years, engaged in a pattern and practice of gross violations of human rights against the Nigerian people and others, including summary executions of prisoners, indiscriminate attacks against civilians, torture, forced disappearances and rape. Rarely have the perpetrators been prosecuted or punished,” he said
“This abusive conduct not only violates the laws of war, it creates fear and loathing among the Nigerian people whose support is necessary to defeat a terrorist group like Boko Haram.
“President Buhari ignores the undisputed fact that most Nigerian army units have been approved, under the Leahy Law, for U.S. training and equipment. Only those particular units against which there is credible evidence of the most heinous crimes are ineligible for U.S. aid. And even those units can again become eligible if the Nigerian Government takes effective steps to bring the responsible individuals to justice.
“I strongly agree with President Buhari about the need to defeat Boko Haram, and I have supported tens of millions of dollars in U.S. aid to Nigeria for that purpose. But rather than suggest that the United States is at fault for not funding murderers and rapists in the Nigerian military, he should face up to his own responsibility to effectively counter Boko Haram. He should direct his attention to the Nigerian military, and the Nigerian courts, and clean up the units implicated in such atrocities.”
Speaking at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) on Wednesday, Buhari had lamented that the law “aided and abetted” the campaign of bloodletting of Boko Haram, urging the US government to review it so that it could provide the needed assistance to Nigeria to crush Boko Haram.
“In our efforts at combating the activities of Boko Haram, the new government has sought and obtained the support of not only our neighbours other international friends and partners. Regrettably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war against the insurgents,” he had said.
“In the face of abduction of innocent school girls from their hostels, indiscriminate bombings of civilians in markets and places of worship, our forces have remained largely impotent because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which they could have had, had the so-called human rights violations not been an obstacle.
“Unwittingly, and I dare say, unintentionally, the application of the Leahy law amendment by the U. S. Government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, in raping of women and girls, and in their other heinous crimes. I believe this is not the spirit of the Leahy Laws. I know the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes.”
Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, subsequently attempted to harp on the innocence of the president’s comment.
This is what we get when we depend on the West for solutions to our problems. Agreed, our Military’s human rights record are certainly not the best, but the fact is they are certainly not the worst. American Military forces atrocities across the world are well-documented. Guantanamo Bay is an example. Same for their murderous and grossly inhuman acts in Iran. So for Leahy, its a case of the kettle calling the pot black. I do not blame him however. I blame our leaders who cannot put on their thinking cap to generate home-grown solutions to our problems. I think its time to look inward, to develop indigenous solutions to our problems. Experience has shown that the average Nigerian is not lacking in intelligence and can certainly stand shoulder – to – shoulder with the very best in the world, if he’s given the opportunity. Let’s take a cue from Israel. Surrounded by mortally hostile nations, haunted and hated world wide by their adversaries, they looked inward to develop homegrown solutions that will ensure not just their survival as a nation but their continuous victory over their enemies. Today, their Military is second to none. They have in fact developed Military technology that even the US is envious of. Why can’t we do the same? The fact is, no matter how hard we cry, these Western nations will not come to our aid. Nigerians must jointly seek solutions to their problems. These nations will not cry more than the bereaved. The reality we must face is a strong, stable, viable Nigeria is not in their interest, no matter the pretense and they will therefore continue to ensure continued stymifying of Nigeria’s growth. Fellow Nigerians, its time to call the bluff of these pretenders. Adversity should bring out the best in us. This present challenge presents us a golden opportunity to rise up and fulfill our potentials. By the way, what happened to DICON (Defence Industries Corporation)? Let’s revive the corporation and make it fulfill its mandate of research and manufacture of Military hardware. Yes, it can be done. Perhaps, someday, we may even be exporting our military hardware rather than seeking assistance from unwilling foes masquerading as friends. I heard a Policeman made a bullet-proof vest from local materials, why can’t we encourage such people?
Good comment
Well John, I guess we have to wait for smart people like you to come up with “home grown ” solutions that will see us determine young girls who are suicide nbers, invent intelligent gathering capabilities and gadget that will surpass all known formulas in America and Europe . And do all that in one breath, in record time, ooh yes, you are certainly right, we don’t really need America and its sphere of influence, we have brainiacs like you in Nigeria .
Oh yeah right Heaven, why didn’t you talk about the American military and their impeccable record? So they have never abused civilians? What are they currently doing to blacks now?
Well said, but they the so-called leaders will not listen. Shame!
Thank you for your brilliant response to this John. You share exactly the same sentiments that shared in my latest article prior to this visit. Please Google the article titled: “Thoughts on The Buhari American jamboree” and get back at me. Thank you.
Excellent comments. Rather than buying foreign made cars for example Innocen Motors can be made our national official cars. Most of the military tanks can be made in Awka if prototypes can be sent to them. Bello
Well on point. After 45 yrs of dictatorships, and with no people oriented policies, Nigeria remains a backward third world. With all the human capital and natural resources we cannot product one bullet. We import toothpicks. This is a wake-up call. We are now a democracy. We’ll spurn our nation to action. No one can muzzle us like in the time past.
Well said, thank you
Good comment.
I am really perplexed by this man submissions, how on earth did he think our troops can subdue and overcome this monster. No one is perfect and attaining perfection is futility. Please DICON is not functioning not to think of having others.
This is what you get when you have unpatriotic citizens who make wild alegations against their own military for political, ethnic and religious purposes.
Leahy have never been to Nigeria neither does Amnesty international have office in nigeria but it’s my brothers in the North who did not want Jonathan to succes in the fight against Boko Haram that weighed hate war against the military to demoralize them. Alh. Ali Mungono, the now quiet Borno Elders Forum, Sen. Shehu Sani, Gov. El rufai etc.
Now info has it that it’s was El Rufai, Shehu sani and Obi ezekwesili that authored the AI reports to discredit jonathan now it’s their Party that is suffering the consequencies.
God pass dem.
I tink if US ar nt givin lets go 2 russia 4 help
Your comment..That US Senator Leahy is not travelled he is ignorant of the realities of today I think he must be too old to appreciate and understand the complexities of today’s global village and does not understand that what affects the hands affects the eyes.I see US as and Advanced Country and always believed they have a great detail of the world”s intelligence network.I expected his fellow Senators to have cautioned him .The time is still not late for Leahy to retract his statement or his colleagues in the US Senate to help him put things in proper perspective and avoid the embarrassment that statement is causing his Country Terrorism has no boundary Senator LEAHY must know and he should show the world his facts. Chudi writes from Nigeria
The so-called spirit of America is Patriotism .The multi-million naira question is ‘Are Nigerian leaders patriotic to this Nation ?’
To thyself be thou Honest !!!
True patriotism is devoid of ethnic sentiments , religious bigotry , tyranny , nepotism, unbriddled acquisition of wealth etc .
Nigeria desperately needs patriotic leaders , not just rulers !!!
My people, Nigeria can stand strong and become self-reliant in the face of adversity, provided we as a people are prepared to use what we have locally to achieve what we really need. The trouble is, our leaders hardly listen to suggestions and having put themselves in cocoons, thinking they know everything, we don’t have a way of reaching them to proffer solutions. For instance, I know a man here who has evolved a citizen-based intelligence gathering system that can check mate Boko Haram activities, create a platform for Whistle Blowers to reach the authorities on Corruption in all its ramifications, stop oil pipeline vandals in their tracks, etc, but getting this solution across to President Buhari or Femi Adeshina for Buhari’s attention is a problem. When Nigerians get into certain positions of leadership, they hide their phone numbers and we have no access to their email addresses! That’s the problem. Instead of being open to take in suggestions from citizens like it happens in other climes, the case of Nigeria is the other way round. Can someone give us the email address of Femi Adeshina? Nigeria shall rise again.
Leahy or what do they call should do his research well before making his purported law or bullshit.. the military all over the world have the same mind set .. It comes to who is in control cos most of them are just careless . I do not blame him for saying rubbish. Nigerians leaders should learn how to control their military and call the shots and stop asking people that cannot help to help. When we have the likes of isreal, Russia , China , Japan etc not USA
It is sad, that PMB, of great admiration and expectations has gone to bring this insult to Nigeria, from those ass lickers. For nothing good and enduring can ever come from United States of Adversities, they are the world largest manufacturer of destructive weapons they get their highest tax from this industry. We also know that it’s this very weapons that USA made collects tax on, sells that those deranged elements called boko haram uses to kill innocent Nigerians.So why do you think USA, is the ideal place to seek help to counter by?
I will still ask….Do our leaders see and hear all these comments and suggestions from well meaning intelligent patriots?
If our leaders do not rise up sincerely to do the right thing, it will not be long something more terrible will start happening and our leaders will be the ones to hide.
When 2015 elections were postponed, in few weeks the former goverment almost eradicated Boko haram. Nigeria can do it. If we keep begging America, soon they will give us a condition on Gay law amendment so that their soldiers will be free to operate in our country.
This is the best time to come back home and look inward.
The situation on ground is not for us politics, so I pray that nobody politicises it even though APC politicised it in order to win power.
Our leaders should rise up and do the right this,,,”very soon the ordinary civilians may no more be the hunted”
“A Nigerian Soldier calls US Senators Homosexuals”..VIP News. Equation balanced, now let’s have responsible news items!
http://t.co/qNEjAj9f5j so while Buhari fixes the military we should just sit and watch BH run over Nigeria? SMH
Let GMB continue running around looking for help from people that it’s obvious they don’t want to help Nigeria.
The Biafran soldiers produced OJUKWU BUCKET (called ogbu n’igwe in Biafran language) in those dark age.
Then think of what they can do now if given a chance.
I believe this country has people capable of manufacturing such weapons if they had been given the chance and support they require. This country produces the best crude in the world but we’re still under developed. It is shame.
The worst and last thing that will happen is for us to accept that evil marriage proposal no matter the situation. Period
GEJ your God is vindicating you. At the end Nigeria will shame themselves. As long as Nigeria is always ganging up against anybody from the Old eastern region, Nigeria will know no peace. More greater evil is coming to befall Nigeria and nobody can stop it.
I thought Buhari,an ex-general should know that America has permanent interest, not necessarily friends. We seem to be crying wolf over a clearly national security matter. Are we no more capable of defending ourselves a s Nigerians. Maybe we need to be re-colonised.
America and Americans will never cease to amaze me. I don’t blame them. I rather blame Nigerian politicians who sold their their country for a pot of porridge (political power). We will all reap what we sow. God bless Nigeria.
This is just the beginning of our problems,how can we survive by depending on the West,living an imitation life.mind you,any development that is not deeply routed to the people culture cannot bring any meaningful development to the people.lets go back to our route now and develops it happen during Biafran war Igbo operated refinery manufactured bombs (Ogbunigwe)we can do it.