Buratai: Troops will never operate outside the rules of engagement

Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, says his men are professional in the discharge of their duties.

Speaking when he received members of the house of representatives committee on army at the force’s headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday, he said the troops will never operate outside the rules of engagement.

He said the army abides by the country’s constitution and that the safety of citizens is guaranteed.

“Let me assure you and all Nigerians that the Nigerian Army is a professional army. We follow our rules of engagement. Nigerians should feel safe, ” Buratai said.

“We abide by rules of engagement and the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.”

The army chief spoke hours after a CNN report on the army “using live bullets” on #EndSARS protesters at Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

Although the army has repeatedly denied the allegation, saying its operatives only fired blank bullets into the air, not at the protesters, CNN said its evidence shows otherwise.