The Nigerian Army on Wednesday denied forcing the 486 Boko
Haram suspects arrested on their way from Jigawa to Port Harcourt on June 15,
2014, in 33 buses to drink urine......
Army witness, Maj. Chudi Aniukwu, stated this
on Wednesday in Abuja, when he testified before the Presidential Investigation
Panel on Human Right Violation. Aniukwu, who was cross examined by Mr Abdullahi
Achara, counsel to the petitioners, debunked the allegation. Aniukwu, also a
Controller of the Nigerian Army Operation Centre, North East, said none of the
arrested suspect was forced to drink urine as reported in the media. He said
that the 486 suspects ate the same food with the soldiers, adding that the
suspects were kept for seven days for proper profiling by the DSS. Aniukwu said
that out of the 486 suspects, only one person was identified by the DSS as a
Boko Haram suspect, adding that nothing was found on the remaining suspects.
Aniukwu said he got a call at 3a.m. on June 15, 2014, that the Army in Port
Harcourt had intercepted Boko Haram suspects, crossing over to other parts of
Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta. “We placed all our checkpoints on maximum
alert, and I got a call that they have intercepted 33 buses, carrying only men
who had nothing on them. “We moved all of them to Abia headquarters of the Army
base, and we informed the highest authority in the Army and the DSS.’’ He said
after serious scrutiny and proper profiling by the DSS, only one person was found
to be a member of Boko Haram. The Army witness said what aroused suspicion was
that such a huge number of movement of people had not been witnessed on a
single day, and considering the volatile security situation in the country at
the time. He, however, said that the Abia Government provided the needed
support for the suspects while in Army custody, adding that all of them were
well fed. He said after the investigation by the DSS, the driver of each
vehicle was given N22,000 to enable them return to their destinations. Mr
Suleiman Adamu, a driver of one of the vehicles, who testified, said the
passengers were going to Port Harcourt for greener pastures. Prof Akinseye
George, (SAN) counsel to the Military, who cross examined Adamu, said that 17
passengers were in his own bus. He said that he knew some of the people in the
other buses, especially the driver, stating that not all of the passengers were
known to him. According to him, “I am a driver and I used to convey passengers
to Port Harcourt, I have been driving the same route for 15 years.’’ He said
that as a driver and passengers, they were all looking for greener pasture,
stressing that he was held in the Army custody for 12 days, contrary to Army’s
claim of seven days. Chairman of the Panel, Justice Biobele George, discharged
the witness after his testimony. He said that their complaints would be looked
into and recommendations submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for necessary
action.
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