The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday said its draft of a report on North-East Human Rights Assessment did not in anyway; indict the Presidency or any Federal or State Government official.
Acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Mrs Oti Ovrawah, stated this at a news conference in Abuja.
Oti said that the report was purely an assessment of the humanitarian challenges in the North-East, and that it did not also indict former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal.
“The report is an assessment and study of human rights and humanitarian challenges in the North-East of Nigeria.
“This is with a view to shaping the policies of the government, international organisations and other stakeholders in consolidating the interventions in the region,” she said.
According to her, the report only makes reference to previous reports of other stakeholders to enrich its assessment of the situation on the ground in the region.
The acting executive secretary added that the report did not state that Boko Haram insurgents still occupied territories in the North-East as at the time of consultation with stakeholders.
She added that the report was not yet a public document as it was still undergoing validation, noting that consultations among stakeholders had been commended by federal and state officials and civil society organisations.
Oti explained that the clarification became necessary following media reports suggesting that the draft assessment report indicted the presidency and others for diverting funds meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The draft report, which was compiled by NHRC officials with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was presented to the media and other stakeholders on Tuesday. NAN
