THE Nigerian Army says it is investigating a viral video which showed soldiers assaulting workers of a cleaning services company in Kaduna State.
The ICIR had reported that the incident took place at the 2 Seasons Resort and Conference Center, where the company was engaged to provide services.
A staff of the company, @ayopaintedit, who shared the video on Twitter in a series of tweets seen by The ICIR on Saturday, May 6, said the soldiers were called to the hotel by the managers after the cleaning company requested payment of outstanding fees.
Instead of resolving the matter amicably, he said the soldiers resorted to brutal force, assaulting the workers and seizing their phones.
He said the incident left some of the workers injured, with one suffering a broken head, and another almost losing his eyesight.
In another footage, he said one of the soldiers called later, threatening to deal further with staff of the cleaning company if the Twitter post they made on the incident was not pulled down.
The incident sparked outrage amongst Nigerians, who took to the social media to demand justice for the victims.
However, the Army spokesperson, Clement Nwachukwu, in a text message sent to The ICIR in the early hours of Sunday, May 7, said the Army is investigating the incident.
The Army spokesperson said the video footage is being studied, to establish its veracity.
While noting that appropriate discipline will be taken once the veracity of the incident is established, Nwachukwu added that the Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any form of human rights abuse and brutality.
“Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any form of human rights abuse and brutality. There are extant codes of conduct and rules of engagement to guide the conduct of our troops in operations and exercises. We are studying the video footage to establish its veracity,” he said.
“Investigation has already commenced into the incident. Once this is established, be assured that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”
He further noted that the Nigerian Army has Human Rights desks at the Army Headquarters and Divisions Headquarters where violations could be reported officially.
“Please note also that the Nigerian Army has Human Rights desks at the Army Headquarters and Divisions Headquarters where this kind of violations could be reported officially,” he added.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention by the army in various parts of the country.
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