Nigerian military charges another 97 soldiers for mutiny, other offences

The Nigerian military on Thursday at the Defence Headquarters Garrison inaugurated a nine-man General Court-Martial to try 97 military personnel.

The personnel are being charged for different offences ranging from mutiny, assault and misconduct to tampering with military property.


Of the 97 soldiers, 66 have been accused of committing mutiny, a crime punishable under the military law by death sentence.

Highly placed military sources revealed that among the personnel set to face the General Court Martial include some senior officers: two colonels and some lieutenant colonels.

Fifteen of the accused being prosecuted in the second batch of Army personnel facing the General Military Court Martial at the Nigeria Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja, are officers while 72 belong to the rank and file.

The officers are Lt. Col. SS Tilawan, Lt. Col. DB Dazang, Lt. Col. IC Ogunmanya, Lt. Col. SU Abubakar, Maj. II Sakaba, Captain Z Alhaji, Capt. M Hamadikko and Capt. MB Abdullahi.

Others are Capt. SY Musa, Lt. T Garba, Lt. F Ogunleke, Lt. A Abdullahi, Lt. IM Okoro, Lt. D Wunuji and 2nd Lt. JM Uweh.

The composition of the GCM include Brig. Gen. Musa Yusuf (President), Col. Rabe Abubakar, Col. Mohammed Ibrahim, Col. Umar Mohammed, Col. Godwin Ugwueze, Col. Jonathan Gontor, Col. BR Abimiku,and Col. MM Bunza (members)

The President of the Court, Brig. Gen Yusuf who announced the members of the court also named Col. At Ibrahim, Lt. Col Victor Olatunji as waiting members, and Lt. Col. Ukpe Ukpe, an Assistant Director Legal Services at the Army Headquarters Garrison, as the Judge Advocate.

The Prosecuting Officers are Capt. J A Orumor, Capt. Roseline Agwai, Capt. JE Nwosu, Capt. WF David, Capt VL William, Lt AM Sani, Lt. N Okorie and LCPl Chukwu Prince-Augustine.

The President of the Court said during the inauguration that the officers and men were being arraigned to face various offences which include mutiny, assault, absence without leave, house breaking, conduct prejudicial to good orders and service discipline, offences relating to service property.

He assured the accused who appeared in two batches because of space constraints at the Army Headquarters Garrison Conference Room venue of the trail, that the court would ensure a strict adherence to the principle of fair-hearing and justice in its treatment of the cases before it.

Yusuf said that the court would ensure a holistic examination of evidence brought before it to ensure that no innocent person was convicted.