Brigadier Ransome-Kuti gets his prison sentence and dismissal commuted to loss of rank

NIGERIA'S Army Council has commuted the dismissal of Brigadier Enitan Ransome-Kuti to a loss of rank and the demotion to colonel as part of its review of punitive sentences handed out to officers for their roles in past failures in the war against Boko Haram.

 

In March last year, Brigadier Ransome-Kuti, the son of human rights activist Beko Ransome-Kuti and the nephew of Afrobeat king Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was one of 21 officers charged by the Nigerian Army before a military court martial. They were subsequently tried for cowardice, negligence and complicity during the invasion of the 21 Artillery Brigade, Bama, on September 2, 2014 by Boko Haram.

 

During the terrorist attack by Boko Haram, the soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled, leaving the terrorists to easily occupy the facility. This was despite the fact that the troops outnumbered them and were better equipped and could easily have fought off the attack had they put up a fight.

 

Since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in May last year, the Nigerian Army has been reviewing the sentences handed out to several officers and soldiers. Those condemned to death for mutiny have had their sentences commuted, while many soldiers who have been dismissed have been reabsorbed into the Nigerian Army.

 

Yesterday, Brigadier Ransome-Kuti had his six months prison sentence quashed with immediate effect from October 15, 2015. He is also to lose four years seniority but will now be free to resume his duty as an officer of the Nigerian Army.

Brigadier Ransome-Kuti had been found guilty on a three-count charge for failure to perform military duties and miscellaneous offences relating to service property. Nigerian Army spokesman Col Sani Usman, explained that the sentence was not due to acts of cowardice, which was struck out but hinged on several other offences that depict unprofessional conduct.

 

Col Usman said: “I wish to confirm that one of the accused persons, Brigadier General EA Ransome-Kuti, was awarded the following punishments on the various count charges against him as follows. The first count charge which was cowardly behaviour, was struck out but was found guilty on count charge number two, which was failure to perform military duties and was dismissed from the Nigerian Army.

 

"Brigadier Ransome-Kuti was equally found guilty on count charge number three, which was miscellaneous offences relating to service property and was awarded six months imprisonment.”

 

He added that the sentence had now been commuted the dismissal to lower rank and the incarceration quashed. According to Col Usman, the Army Council had ordered that Brigadier Ransome-Kuti be released and posted out of custody.