54 Soldiers Sentenced To Death

The General Court Martial sitting at the Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja yesterday sentenced 54 soldiers to death after finding them guilty of mutiny. 59 soldiers were on trial on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny and mutiny. Four of them were however acquitted.

It was confirmed by an officer who was at the Court Martial that 54 of the 59 soldiers were sentenced to death. The 59 soldiers who were serving in the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state, allegedly refused lawful orders by their commander to proceed on a mission to clear out terrorists and secure a town for subsequent military deployments.

All the soldiers had pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them at the commencement of the trial last October. The soldiers are the second batch of Nigerian soldiers condemned to death by Nigerian Military courts for mutiny.

According to the charge against them, they conspired to commit mutiny against the authorities of the 7 Division on August 4, at the Mulai Primary School camp, opposite AIT Maiduguri, Borno State.

Captain J.E. Nwosu told the military court that the soldiers were also said to have refused to join the 111 Special Forces Battalion troops, commanded by Timothy Opurum, a Lieutenant Colonel for an operation on August 4, in Maiduguri.

Mr. Nwosu said the operation was meant to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State from the Boko Haram terrorists.

According to him, the offence is punishable under Section 52(1) (a) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He said he took off for the operation with only four officers and 29 soldiers as “tasked” after majority of the 174 soldiers in the unit refused to join the operation.