NEF demands justice for Seaman Abbas over torture, 6yr incarceration

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is deeply concerned over the alleged ‘unjust’ treatment of Seaman Haruna Abbas, a military officer, who it said has become a victim of egregious misconduct within the armed forces.

NEF in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman demanded swift justice for Abbas and his family.

“We demand that the military hierarchy take immediate steps to review this case and provide the necessary support for Seaman Abbas’s rehabilitation. It is critical that the injustices he has faced be addressed with urgency to restore his dignity and that of his family,” it said.

The statement added, “As narrated by Mrs Husaina Abbas during her appearance on the Berkete Family TV station in the Federal Capital, Abuja, the circumstances surrounding the incarceration of Seaman Abbas raise grave alarms about the accountability and ethical standards within the military hierarchy.”

Mrs Abbas said her husband has been subjected to a punitive six-year imprisonment by his superior, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad S. Adamu, the commander of his battalion. The reported basis for this draconian punishment is not rooted in any criminality nor misconduct that would warrant such a severe sentence, rather, it stems from Seaman Abbas’s commendable act of gathering soldiers under his command for prayer-a reflection of his commitment to the moral and spiritual well-being of his troops.”