The Military Court Martial on Tuesday morning sentenced 12 soldiers to death.
They were among the 18 soldiers charged for mutiny on the 13 and 14th of May 2014 at the Maimalari Cantonment.
The soldiers were charged with six count of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, disobeying lawful orders and various acts said to be inimical to the military service.
The nine-member military Court Martial, also found the soldiers guilty of insubordinate behaviour, use of abusive language, leveling false accusation against their superior officers, among others.
They were similarly found guilty of attempting to kill their erstwhile General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Major General Ahmed Mohammed by shooting at his official car, between May 13 and 14, 2014. The car was bullet proof.
The court also found them guilty of preventing the movement of some of their injured colleagues to hospital and obstructing evacuation of their dead ones who were killed in ambush on their way from an operation in Chibok, Borno State.
The incident took place at the Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri in the course of the ongoing counter insurgency campaign.
Those to die are: Cpl. Jasper Braidolor, David Musa, Friday Onu, Yusuf Shuaibu, Emmanuel Igomu, Andrew Ngbede, Nurudeen Ahmed, Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Alao Samuel, Amadi Chukwudi, Alan Linus and Stephen Clement.
Jeremiah Ichocho, who was found guilty of Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL) was sentenced to two years without labour.
Five were discharged and acquitted, having been found not guilty by the court.
The legal team of the convicts pleaded with the court martial to temper justice with mercy.
The team reeled out pathetic stories about the family backgrounds of the convicted servicemen.
One was said to be the only son of his octogenarian widowed mother.
Another is the father of a five-month-old baby.
The defence team argued that giving them maximum sentence would do more harm than good, adding that it would increase the agony of their dependants.
The court said the sentences were subject to confirmation by higher authorities and acknowledged the right of the soldiers, who pleaded not guilty to most of the charges, to appeal the judgment.
The court was presided over by Brig. Gen. CC Okwonkwo.
Other members of the court are: Col. TS Nurseman, Col. TO Olowomeye, Col. IG Lassa, Lt.Col. JK Feboke, Lt. Col. CR Nnebeife, Major I Yusuf, Major TA Yakubu and Major AE Martins.
Lt. Col. AA Audu and Lt. Col. U Ukpe served as prosecutors.
Pls have mercy on them as God will do to u. They have made mistake and should be punished but not death. At least sentence them to 2 years in prison. Pls don't kill them.
ReplyDeleteso the MUMU GOC wey send BH to legBUSH these guzs go come go free? no be only!
ReplyDeleteOGBU must kill that GOC and his co-horts in the NA that are working for their JIHADIST armed wing B'HARAM. OGBU must KILL una.
The poor soldiers are to die for challenging GOC!.
ReplyDeleteThere is enough money buy bullet proof car for GOC, but no money to buy necessary equipments for foot soldiers facing the bullets of Boko Harram.
Has any of our senior military officers been sentenced to death for corruption? If not, our armed forces need lessons from China.
Banana republic
ReplyDeleteLet those gens. Knws dat they are causing more mayhem in d militry, kill them all, d fact is dat mutiny can never stop until dey do d right tin. God is watching. I know nemesies wil soon catch up wit them if justice is not done.
ReplyDeleteLet those gens. Knws dat they are causing more mayhem in d militry, kill them all, d fact is dat mutiny can never stop until dey do d right tin. God is watching. I know nemesies wil soon catch up wit them if justice is not done.
ReplyDeleted Goc should also b sentenced 4 putting d life of his rank and file in danger
ReplyDeletekill dem for wat now, haba. Dis is wickedness in d highest order. Y kill dem, punish dem but don't kill dem. C how dem talk kill like say na animals dem dey talk about. Dey are in d office recieving ac while dis soldiers are in d front fighting bk n dey are talking about kill. If not for unemployment, i don't c any reason y anyone should join n remain in dis corrupt nigeria military. God should help dem
ReplyDeleteLet the Gen's be ready it kust syart, may they will sentence all the soldiers to death. We are waiting for God's time to come
ReplyDeletedis is unfair fa y kill dem aft fightin for dere so called country,God ll surly punish dis ogas at d top it shall neva b well wit all of u.
ReplyDeletePls and pls do not kill them instead punish them.God has not given us d power to kill. Wot about d GOC dat planned d whole tin hun. This boys were trying to protect themselves. Think abt dre families. God wil not spare u people if this guys are killed. God is watching o. There are not goat o or animals dat u can kill anyhow.
ReplyDeletePlease and please o! Any other punishment is better than outright killing it will cause more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteIs it by killing them that will make the morale of the other junior officers high, or what? Now Boko Haram will be laughing at them say them no fit fight them and yet killing themselves na wa oooo....... banana republic indeed, there was a country...
ReplyDeletewhat an injustice! imagine the GOC that caused this saga does not face tribunal or jailed, and besides those soldiers did not want to kill the GOC by shooting at a bullet proof car, rather they should have blow the car off with another thing. haba killing them wont stop the corruption in the military and cannot win the war against boko haram.
ReplyDeleteI know any act equal to mutiny in force has death penality, but this case is a diffrent one. Its a case of the nation against one GOC day send nigerian soldier to war and tell d enemy where dey are coming for. Nigerian military has been compromised, if not how would BH armbush soldeirs going for anti terrorist course in northan nigeria from easthern nigeria ?. Something drastic has to be done to all these issues.
ReplyDelete10 if not all the 12 are Christians,... haba! GOD WILL JUDGE! & IT WON'T BE LONG!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch judgement stinks.
ReplyDeleteTarani but if they are muslims the judgement will be right? you are just a stinking maggot, that is destined to die prematuredly. your end is at hand. you allah demon worshipper
Deleteplease d should let this men go is better d discharge them, i weep for this men d abandon their family for the sack to bring peace to this nation, this soldiers are gallant men, killing this men will course more harm to our nation, mama patience Jonathan is time for you to speak to your husband to come into this matter this men have wife and family to take care of we Nigeria know u are a caring mother you have done before you can still do it again. long live Nigeria long live our soldiers
ReplyDeleteThere is no sense in passing death sentence on the alleged mutinous soldiers at this time. Their execution will certainly be counter-productive. The hydra-headed problems of our country have their roots in the large scale indiscipline,unpatriotism,dishonesty,graft,corruption,wickedness,insensitivity and a host of other evils perpetrated upon Nigeria by high ranking military generals.
ReplyDeleteThe so-called military court has never secured any conviction on military ogas that aid ,abet, and even directly or indirectly participate in illegal bunckering activities by which most of them have gained access to the corridors of affluence.
Top ungodly generals are making a lot of money with this boko haram insurgency not knowing that God has a way of bringing severe punishment on bloody opportunists in khaki and their descendants. The other time one big oga who embezzled allowances belonging to some junior military men that participated in foreign military operations went away unpunished while the helpless junior officer when they reacted to the shameful action were imprisoned and charged for mutiny.
According to the Chief of Army Staff,''Mutiny is death sentence''.Had one of the children of past military leaders or retired generals being involved in the alleged mutiny, the COAS would not have had the courage to mention mutiny or death sentence. It is an irony of juridical history that law came into existence to inspire and to preserve the honour of men but it is pathetic and unfortunate that men do hide under the same law to subvert honour.
The death sentence or execution does not proffer solution but will certainly aggravate the huge acrimonious wrangling within the rank and file of the Nigerian Army who are of the opinion that military operation against boko haram is being precariously managed. It is the opinion of well-meaning Nigerians that our country will not witness any meaningful progress in the fight against this insurgency until patriotism,honesty,fairness, selflessness and true professionalism become the life and creed of the top echelon of the Nigerian military.
Conclusively, death sentence at this time is a death sentence on truth and morality.
Exactly, Jonathan need do something fast as well as human rights commission. These is our beloved soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation, but when there is corruption in country people at the top are oppressing others, that is the case here, the georgement shoukd be reversed.
ReplyDeleteI still dnt get why dey have to die...... ols jus give dem another chance
ReplyDeleteSaid .. I stil dnt understand why they..(soldiers) have to die... pls give another chance
ReplyDeleteIN EQUITY LAW REVOLT IS DIFFERENT FROM COUP TO THE BEST OF UNDERSTANDING. LET DISMISS THEM INSTEAD OF EXCUTION.PLS OTHERS WOULD NOT ATTEMPT SUCH. GOD FORGIVES.
ReplyDeletewere is this country called Nigeria moving to?? too bad it has finally come to my notice tht we are been enslaved in dz goddamn country too bad....talking of the soldeirs are they nt human being like evryone else??? why are his people taking em like no human being....or is it really easy to face dz highly equiped sects called boko haram... this isnt fair at all.. now tell me what has the poor soldeirs done poeple that are the pillars of this country will be killed by its own country bcos of trying to protect their lifes....I HATE THIS COUNTRY.....how will nigeria ever progress?? other politicians, prove to me they havnt done smtn 5times worst than dis and wht have they done to them???.... ehh i wish i was never born here seriously speaking
ReplyDelete