A total of 117 Nigerian Army personnel, comprising 25 officers and 92 soldiers are facing a military court martial at the Headquarters of the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba, Jos.
The officers comprise two Lieutenant-Colonels, a major, eight captains and 14 lieutenants.
Investigations revealed that the military personnel, whose cases are being handled in batches, were initially scheduled to appear before the General Court Martial at the Headquarters of the One Division, Kaduna, but were taken to Jos for security reasons.
It was learnt that the officers were posted from the 7th Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army to the Division One of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, to face the Court Martial for the purpose of jurisdiction.
The General Officer Commanding the One Division, Maj.-General KC Osuji issued the convening order for the General Court Martial of Army Personnel in Kaduna on August 6, 2014.
“Pursuant to the powers conferred on me under Section 131 (2)(d) of the Armed Forces Ac Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN)2004, I Maj. Gen. KC Osuji, Gen. Officer, Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, hereby order the details of officers as mentioned below to assemble at 1 Division Officers’ Mess, N0 Kanta Road, Kaduna or any other venue convenient to the members at 900 hours on 9 June, 2014, or any other date and time suitable for the purpose of trying by the General Court Martial, the accused persons named in paragraph 5…,” the order read in part.
The membership of the panel includes Col. JJ Ogunlade (President); Col. MT Waboke, Col. JO Sokoya, Col. AA Bamgbose, Col. A Garba, Col M Kadri, Col MW Abubakar and Lt. Col B Garke as members; Lt Col. OS Obot (Waiting member); Capt. A Mohammed (Judge Avocate); and Lt GB Sulieiman (Liaison Officer).
The military authorities concluded the trial of the first batch and inaugurated another panel on August 6, 2014 to try 117 cases comprising 25 officers and 92 soldiers.
It was learnt that the GCM found most of the soldiers of the first batch guilty of the various charges against them and awarded various prison sentences and punishment to them.
Investigations revealed that most of the officers and soldiers involved in the second batch of court martial in Jos are being tried in relation with offences related to the abduction of the students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on April 14, 2014.
It was further gathered that the officers and soldiers are being charged for acts of misdemeanour except mutiny.
The source said that the offence of mutiny, which attracts capital punishment, was being tried only by the General Court Martial at the Mogadishu, Cantonment, Abuja.
When our correspondent contacted the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Olajide Laleye, he confirmed that those undergoing trial in Jos were Army personnel from the One Division who were asked to move to Jos to face the Court Martial.
He said that the court martial had been in existence for more than a year and was meant to try all offences committed within the Army and not only those emanating from the ongoing operation in the North East.
Laleye stated, “The General Court Martial in One Division has been in place for over a year now. The Court martial has been in existence for over a year.
“Those in One Division were asked to go to Jos to face the Court Martial. Normally, offences committed within the military are tried by Court Martial.
“The offences are not necessarily those that have to do with the operation in the North East. They could be diverse; the Court Martial is not restricted to the North East.” Punch
