Army high command commutes death sentence of 66 soldiers to 10 years imprisonment

NIGERIAN Army commanders have commuted the death sentences of 66 soldiers to 10 years imprisonment after the military high command reviewed convictions handed out to them in March this year.

 

In 2014, the Nigerian Army had arraigned 71 soldiers on several charges that included criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mutiny, attempt to commit murder, disobedience to particular orders, insubordinate behaviour and false accusation, among others. Between January and March this year, 66 of them were sentenced to death, while five were discharged and acquitted and one was given 28-day imprisonment with hard labour.

 

However, after a review, the military high command has decided to commute the sentences according to army spokesman Col Sani Usman. He added that the decision was taken following a series of petitions, the chief of army staff Lt General Tukur Buratai, who then ordered a legal review of the cases.

 

Col Usman said: “The directive was carried out to examine the merit of each case. It was on the basis of the review and recommendations that the chief of army staff commuted the death sentences of the 66 soldiers to 10-year jail term."

 

He added that the cases of other soldiers tried and convicted by other court martials were being reviewed and would be made public once appropriate reviews were completed. On October 2, 2014, at the Defence Headquarters Garrison, the Nigerian Army inaugurated a nine-man general court martial to try about 100 personnel.

 

Of the lot, 66 were accused of committing mutiny, a crime punishable under the military law by death sentence. The charge sheet said the soldiers, attached to the Seventh Mechanised Division in Maiduguri, conspired to commit mutiny against the authorities on August 4 at the Mulai Primary School camp, opposite AIT Maiduguri, Borno State.

 

It also said the soldiers refused to join 111 Special Forces battalion troops led by Col E A Aladeniyi, to the Maimalari Barracks for an operation. Those charges came two weeks after another military court sentenced 12 soldiers to death for shooting at a vehicle conveying their commander in Maiduguri.

 

Among other things, the soldiers were also accused of insurrection and firing at the utility vehicle of their general officer commanding the Seventh Mechanised Division Major General Ahmadu Mohammed. Many Nigerians condemned the death sentences at the time and demanded a review.