Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, has ordered soldiers in the North-East region to treat citizens as Boko Haram suspects until they properly identify themselves.
Mr Buratai also ordered troops involved in counter-insurgency operations in the geo-political zone to swiftly attune themselves to war mode,
The directive is contained in an internal army correspondence, titled: “COAS Special Order-01 Change to War Mode,” reports Peoples Gazette.
“All persons must be treated as suspects unless fully identified and cleared especially in isolated, high threat areas, when on clearance operations and check point duties,” the directive issued yesterday partly read.
“We are not in peacekeeping operations, internal security operations or deterrence actions,” the memo added. “This is real war fighting.”
Critics have condemned the directive weighing the human rights implications of the new order.
A spokesman for the Nigerian Army did not return a request seeking comments.
