The Nigerian Minister of Defense, Mansur
Muhammad Dan Ali, gave and exclusive interview
with SaharaReporters in Washington, DC in the
United States. Mr. Dan Ali addressed some of the
most controversial questions related to the military’s
conduct during the Zaria massacre in December 2015, the
ongoing security situation connected to Biafran agitation,
Nigeria’s membership in the Islamic Coalition of states
against terrorism, and abuse against civilians by armed
forces.
Nigeria's Defense Minister Speaks On Military Abuse,
Corruption And Efforts To Reform The Military
Mr. Dan Ali exclusively told SaharaReporters that the
notorious Brigadier General Momoh, who was exposed as
working with top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
politicians to compromise the integrity of the 2014 Ekiti
State gubernatorial election, was forced to retire from the
military. This development, a widely expected outcome from
the report by the Board of Inquiry on the matter, had not
been official confirmed until the exclusive interview.
When asked by our SaharaReporters correspondent if he
could confirm the BOI’s recommendation to retire the
embattled Mr. Momoh, the Minister of Defense said, “why
not, I do” confirm this.
He added that his service with the Nigerian military would
end “as soon as possible. In fact as I am talking to you
maybe he has already applied for it.”
When asked further whether Mr. Momoh had already been
retired, Mr. Dan Ali said “Yeah I think so by now, yes.”
The full report from the Board of Inquiry, which investigated
Mr. Momoh’s and others’ conduct during election periods,
has not been publicly made available at the time of
reporting.
Mr. Dan Ali also spoke to SaharaReporters about the
conduct of the military during the December 2015 Zaria
massacre. The military is accused of killing at least 300
Shiite Muslims during an altercation with the Chief of Army
Staff TY Buratai and soldiers. The massacre, which lasted
three days, saw the arrest of the leader of the Islamic
Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Zakzaky, who was
brutalized and held in secret detention for an extended
period of time. Mr. Zakzaky has still not been released from
detention.
Mr. Dan Ali told our correspondent that “if I comment [on
the Shiite massacre] it is going outside the bound” of the
judicial inquiry and that he did not want to influence that
process.
The Defense Minister did not feel comfortable disclosing
details of the massacre to the public other than to say that
the Shiite protesters instigated the use of force and that the
violence only “lasted overnight” and that “in the morning the
whole thing was cleared.”
When asked to reconfirm if he was confident that the use of
force by the military did not extend beyond the initial
Saturday, Mr. Dan Ali said “it did not.”
It will be recalled that the timeline Mr. Dan Ali’s timeline of
the events does not correspond with other reports and
investigations by SaharaReporters. Mr. Dan Ali also did not
offer comment on the destruction of several Shiite shrines
and religious sites by the military. The Defense Minister
said that he was uncomfortable disclosing details of the
altercation between Shiite protesters and the military, until
the report has been issued, other than to say the military
was instigated.
Mr. Dan Ali also addressed concerns the public has on how
instances of military cadets being abused during training
affects their treatment of civilians. He told our
correspondent “as much as possible we are trying to train
and retrain our forces. We are trying as much as possible to
give leadership by example. President Buhari has made
sure that all the needs of our administration.”
The Minister of Defense also told SaharaReporters that
leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi
Kanu, who has been detained by the government since
October 2015, was helping to stabilize the security situation
in Biafra. Mr. Dan Ali said that detaining Mr. Kanu was the
decision of the court but that “the whole thing [in Biafra]
has been stabilized so I think it has assisted in stabilizing
the situation.”
SOURCE:
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he Nigerian Minister of Defense, Mansur
Muhammad Dan Ali, gave and exclusive interview
with SaharaReporters in Washington, DC in the
United States. Mr. Dan Ali addressed some of the
most controversial questions related to the military’s
conduct during the Zaria massacre in December 2015, the
ongoing security situation connected to Biafran agitation,
Nigeria’s membership in the Islamic Coalition of states
against terrorism, and abuse against civilians by armed
forces.
Nigeria's Defense Minister Speaks On Military Abuse,
Corruption And Efforts To Reform The Military
Mr. Dan Ali exclusively told SaharaReporters that the
notorious Brigadier General Momoh, who was exposed as
working with top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
politicians to compromise the integrity of the 2014 Ekiti
State gubernatorial election, was forced to retire from the
military. This development, a widely expected outcome from
the report by the Board of Inquiry on the matter, had not
been official confirmed until the exclusive interview.
When asked by our SaharaReporters correspondent if he
could confirm the BOI’s recommendation to retire the
embattled Mr. Momoh, the Minister of Defense said, “why
not, I do” confirm this.
He added that his service with the Nigerian military would
end “as soon as possible. In fact as I am talking to you
maybe he has already applied for it.”
When asked further whether Mr. Momoh had already been
retired, Mr. Dan Ali said “Yeah I think so by now, yes.”
The full report from the Board of Inquiry, which investigated
Mr. Momoh’s and others’ conduct during election periods,
has not been publicly made available at the time of
reporting.
Mr. Dan Ali also spoke to SaharaReporters about the
conduct of the military during the December 2015 Zaria
massacre. The military is accused of killing at least 300
Shiite Muslims during an altercation with the Chief of Army
Staff TY Buratai and soldiers. The massacre, which lasted
three days, saw the arrest of the leader of the Islamic
Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Zakzaky, who was
brutalized and held in secret detention for an extended
period of time. Mr. Zakzaky has still not been released from
detention.
Mr. Dan Ali told our correspondent that “if I comment [on
the Shiite massacre] it is going outside the bound” of the
judicial inquiry and that he did not want to influence that
process.
The Defense Minister did not feel comfortable disclosing
details of the massacre to the public other than to say that
the Shiite protesters instigated the use of force and that the
violence only “lasted overnight” and that “in the morning the
whole thing was cleared.”
When asked to reconfirm if he was confident that the use of
force by the military did not extend beyond the initial
Saturday, Mr. Dan Ali said “it did not.”
It will be recalled that the timeline Mr. Dan Ali’s timeline of
the events does not correspond with other reports and
investigations by SaharaReporters. Mr. Dan Ali also did not
offer comment on the destruction of several Shiite shrines
and religious sites by the military. The Defense Minister
said that he was uncomfortable disclosing details of the
altercation between Shiite protesters and the military, until
the report has been issued, other than to say the military
was instigated.
Mr. Dan Ali also addressed concerns the public has on how
instances of military cadets being abused during training
affects their treatment of civilians. He told our
correspondent “as much as possible we are trying to train
and retrain our forces. We are trying as much as possible to
give leadership by example. President Buhari has made
sure that all the needs of our administration.”
The Minister of Defense also told SaharaReporters that
leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi
Kanu, who has been detained by the government since
October 2015, was helping to stabilize the security situation
in Biafra. Mr. Dan Ali said that detaining Mr. Kanu was the
decision of the court but that “the whole thing [in Biafra]
has been stabilized so I think it has assisted in stabilizing
the situation.”
SURGE SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK
http://saharareporters.com/2016/04/04/defense-minister-speaks-out-zaria-massacre-biafra-and-why-ekitigate-general-momoh-was

Hmmm!

Do u believe the use of force by the nigerian army was beyond what was expected in the circumstances, and he is rambling like a ram