Twelve Nigerian soldiers have been sentenced to death by the military authorities.
The condemned soldiers include: 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.
However, 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 Military Court Martial, which tried 18 soldiers for mutiny on the 13 and 14th of May 2014 at the Maimalari Cantonment, found 13 of the soldiers guilty of various counts while 5 of the soldiers were discharged and acquitted.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, levelling 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.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, which was presided over by Brig. Gen. CC Okwonkwo also had 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 as members...Lt. Col. AA Audu and Lt. Col. U Ukpe served as prosecutors...culled
*Eyaaaah!
They know the law already. ...I hate dis job...
ReplyDeleteSheriff, Buhari, Atiku and their fellow sponsors of Boko Haram are walking free and u want to kill those who fought them.
DeleteIf this is their way of killing my Igbo people, every aboki in the east should be ready to pay the price.
@anon11:15,ur stupidity get doctorate da' iska!
DeletePlease Nigeria should stop sentencing people to death! Please stop taking life! Why not send them to prison instead of death? Why does Nigeria like death so much, why?... #sobs#
Delete*am out*
They can't just kill them like that?will they?#opens mouth in shock
DeleteAt least they didn't kill the General now,they should free them abeg and give them minimum sentence,kini big deal?everyone revolts once in a while!
OMG..I dont believe my Igbo brothers are guilty of dis crime..What about those hausa army officers that are working hand in hand with boko haram? How many of them have been brought to book? These people can do anything to tarnish our image..just exactly d way they are accusing Ihejirika of sponsoring Boko Haram..Biko they should look into this case very well..I pray God to vindicate these Igbo guys involved.
ReplyDeleteHow can some1 be this tribalistic? And we say Nija go better?
Delete*sigh*
*lips sealed and watching*
Chizoba the goat. Shut it already!
DeleteChizoba and her ilk who think this is all about sentencing only the ibos and killing them, obviously you have no brains! Cause if you do, you must have read that the person who presided over the court martial is also an ibo man! So na ibo give order say make them kill fellow ibos!
DeleteThese people are mad oh! They should dismiss them please! Death sentence for what? Of course, the high ranked personnels don't go to the battle field so it's easy for them to pass judgement as heavy as a death sentence. Instead of them to listen to their plights, they are busy trying to kill the few soldiers alive. Mad fucks!
ReplyDeleteI agree with u
DeleteThis is so very wrong
Why kill them?
Yes! What they did is wrong but Death sentence?
This so called military superiors deserved worse and. They don't care about the plight of the ordinary combatant soldiers
I totally disgree with this judgement
And asked it be reviewed @ once
Killin the soldiers will be the hilt of insensitivity and cruel
Is that the next thing for our nation @ this stage?
If u ask me
I will say capital NO
You are both daft..... This is the military and they have their laws.... If u don't like what happens u resign..... They are soldiers and know the consequences of mutiny...... No need for sentimental talk or tribalistic talk
DeleteHmmmmmmm, tooo bad!!!
ReplyDeleteHaaaa! They should have killed the GOC then.See why Nigeria is not moving forward.
DeleteThat's cruel, there should be lighter punishment like dismissing them, the government should pls act on their behalf because these are men that have served their country
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval
Haba kai!
ReplyDeleteWhy this poor guys?what of their ogas that give informations to boko haram..
ReplyDeleteMtcheeeww...nonsense!!..
When you have evidence and catch them red handed then u persecute them.... These ones were quilty and caught red handed so evidence dey....
DeleteHaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
ReplyDeleteNooooo.
Stella! So all u can say at d end of dis pathetic story is Eyaaaa. Haaa na wa for u oh, cuz it sounds like u re in support. Abeg d judgement is too callous, makes no sense. Wot dey did was wrong, but death sentence! Hell no!!
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel for em. However rules are rules n I biliv they knew d likely outcome if they failed @ what they were accused of doing.
ReplyDeleteSince the sentence has been handed down n it seems dat it is only God dat can save/vindicate em; if they knw anytin dat might expose their superiors I tink it is high time they spill even if it is 4 em 2 create a scene b4 d journos present.
But d question I will continue 2 ask is, y go after small fries? Especially as I biliv that thr cud b a snitch higher up in d military.
Death sentence? That is too extreme. It's not as if the GOC was even killed. Is the GOC better than the soldiers that were killed by Boko Haram?
ReplyDeleteToo severe, what about Ali Modu Sheriff and others that have link with Boko Haram. GEJ should intervene pls. Why reducing Soldiers when we need more of them.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad dat dese men ve 2 die o. Wsh dey can gt a lighter punishment.
ReplyDeleteThis is very pathetic, and insensitive! how about those superior officer sitting on their welfare. Some of this soldiers are bread winners to their family. They do not deserve this harsh judgement. let's say no to this callous judgement... join #free12Nigeriansoldiers#
ReplyDeletespread the news!
Thats too harsh abeg
ReplyDeleteNah wao!
ReplyDeleteIs Gen Ahmed Mohammed not d man that likes to buy tibetan mastiff dogs for #1million naira + each?He has a dog farm here in Kaduna n dose dogs live better that d average Nigerian.
ReplyDelete*better than d
DeleteThe sentence is too harsh For d crime.ha!
ReplyDeleteYea dey were found guilty n should be punished buh no way is a death sentence appropriate.
I don't want to believe it has anything to do with tribe. The may have committed an offence but it's not proportionate with the punishment being meted out on them. A lot of big shots has made derogatory comments against the government been associated with Boko Haram and nothing is being done about it instead where the powers that be can difuse it's enormous powers is on poor powerless people. Shame on them. Why not have these soldiers dismissed instead of killing them? Are we not tired of seeing so many lives lost? THIS REINFORCES THE BELIEF THAT LAWS ARE ONLY MADE FOR THE POOR.
ReplyDeleteDat punishment is too hard haba.
ReplyDeleteANGELRAY SAYS
ReplyDeleteThis is absolute rubbish, our soldiers are been treated like animals, no allowance, no nofin, and they ve the guts to sentence these once. All military personnel should go on strike.
These people are in the army people! The rules are different. Mutiny is a crime that isn't and shouldn't be tolerated. Given the circumstances the army people need to manage, we cant expect a civilian mindset o!
ReplyDeleteI do not rejoice at the death sentences but if that is what is needed to ensure mutiny doesn't happen again or soldiers don't turn tail and run, then that is what it is. We civilians need to let the military deal with their own. In the way they understand there.
Since they have the option of appeal, I hope the judgement gets turned at a higher court. Rules are rules, but let there be equity in the distribution of justice. I feel for their families.
ReplyDeleteCan't GEJ stop this death sentence??
ReplyDeletePlease oh, they should forgive them....its as a result of frustration....if there was no boko haram this guys won't go against there masters....boko haram sponsors should be sentenced to death not this poor guys!
They should be discharged from duty,instead of this death sentence na!
ReplyDeleteI feel the punishment meted to them is way too harsh, even though the knew the consequences of their actions before embarking on it.But not to say that they are not human beings. Imagining watching how carelessly their fellow soldiers were being wasted and their senior officers being only interested in what goes into their pockets.
ReplyDeleteThis soldiers have suffered so much and should be freed.
Death sentence ?? For what? Mutiny , only in Nigeria,useless blood sucking demons, don't see the difference btw these people and BH.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the falanas,keyamos ,and co??? Please this guys don't deserve to die,The G.O.C frustrated them.he has since been retired.Minima,kindly show mercy to these ones...Biko.Ohaneze make una no keep quiet oh!
ReplyDeleteThey are in the military and they know the law..... U allow them go free and more mutiny will take place.... If u are no longer comfortable with your job then resign.... It's not by force.... Joining the military is serious business and rebellion is not tolerated at all... U all keep making noise about their superiors chopping money, if u don't catch someone red handed how do u persecute? These boys were caught so it's easier to bring them to book.... We pray their appeal works if not thru have to bear their cross, army is serious business....
ReplyDeleteThe army should tamper justice with mercyooooo. There are boko haram & their sponsors to be sentenced; why this innocent humans who are doing their best to fight the insurgent. Remember there is God up there watching every action of man.
ReplyDeleteAbeg pls, dont kill them o, they acted out of frustration and anger, They can be dismissed without pay.
ReplyDelete