Nigerian Air Force Sustains Training Of Personnel On International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law

Nigerian Air Force Sustains Training Of Personnel On International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law

In its continued effort to ensure that its personnel are in tune with the basic rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)/Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL), the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in conjunction with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), yesterday, 16 May 2019, organized a lecture for both personnel and trainees at the Military Training Centre (MTC), Kaduna. The objective was to ensure that NAF personnel continually abide by extant laws guiding military operations, both in internal security duties and armed conflicts, in order to forestall collateral damage and safeguard the civilian populace.

The lecture, which was part of the MTC training curriculum, addressed the legal framework of IHL and IHRL, basic rules of IHL and IHRL as well as graduation of the use of force and firearms in conflicts. The Resource Person stated that the essence of the lecture was to position members of the armed forces to abide by those specialized rules designed to reduce the effects of armed conflict, particularly on civilians. In addition, the knowledge gained from the lecture would enable personnel to limit the level and arbitrariness of violence whilst choosing means and methods of attack that would minimize collateral damage.

In his remarks, the Commandant MTC, Air Commodore Jubrin Usman, urged the participants to always comply with these rules in the conduct of operations, reminding them that the NAF has zero tolerance for human rights abuses. He noted that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has, over the past 4 years, placed tremendous emphasis on educating NAF personnel on IHL/LOAC and IHRL with a view to enhancing discipline and professionalism in the conduct of operations. About 500 participants, drawn from officers on the Young Officers’ Course, flight cadets of 66 Regular Course, officer cadets of the Direct Short Service Course as well as students of sundry courses and staff of MTC, attended the lecture.