CDS: Military Committed to Professional Accountability, Respect for Human Rights

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to professional accountability, ethical conduct and respect for human rights, saying modern military operations must remain people-centred and responsive to civilian needs.

General Oluyede made this known at the opening of the Human Security and Gender Advisers Course at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Asokoro, Abuja. 

He was represented at the event by the Chief of Defence Standards and Evaluation, Major General Ibrahim Lassa.

Commending the British Defence staff for their sustained cooperation, the CDS acknowledged their role in strengthening the operational effectiveness of the AFN, particularly in advancing civil-military relations. 

He described the partnership as instrumental to Nigeria’s efforts to adopt contemporary, people-focused approaches to national security.

In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the collaboration reflected the enduring defence relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, anchored on shared values and a mutual commitment to professionalism and accountability in military operations.

Oluyede observed that Nigeria’s security landscape remained complex, fluid and multidimensional, shaped by asymmetric warfare, violent extremism, communal conflicts, transnational crime and recurring humanitarian emergencies, all of which directly impact civilian populations. 

Against this backdrop, he emphasised that security must extend beyond territorial defence to include the protection of lives, preservation of human dignity and the strengthening of societal resilience.

According to him, the course aligned with his strategic vision of consolidating the capacities of the AFN through enhanced joint operations, a reinforced operational posture, improved welfare initiatives and sound administration. 

These efforts, he noted, were geared towards fulfilling the Armed Forces’ constitutional mandate of safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and prosperity within a whole-of-government framework.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria are being repositioned as a force that is not only operationally capable, but also ethically grounded, people-centred and responsive to the socio-cultural realities of its operational environment,” the CDS stated.

He further underscored that preventive action, effective collaboration with civilian institutions and the protection of civilians have become core elements of military effectiveness.