TheCable

A Nigerian Army court martial sitting at the army headquarters garrison, Abacha barracks in Abuja, has sentenced 54 soldiers to death by firing squad.

The soldiers, attached to the 7th division of the army in Maiduguri, were found guilty of mutiny charges.

The soldiers were found guilty of rebelling against the authorities of their division back in August.

On September, 12 out of 18 soldiers tried were sentenced to death for mutiny (pictured) by a military tribunal sitting at Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja. Six others were discharged and acquitted.

In October, another 59 soldiers were put on trial at the at the general court martial at Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja; they pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit mutiny and mutiny.

Sixty soldiers were initially meant to be arraigned, but one of them was reportedly sick.

Reading the charges to the accused, Ukpe Ukpe, the judge advocate and a lieutenant colonel, noted that the soldiers committed the offences on August 4.

Opening the case, the prosecuting counsel, J.E. Nwosu, an army captain, said he had “compelling evidence” to prove that the accused were guilty.

Nwosu alleged that the accused soldiers refused to join the 111 special forces battalion troops commanded by Timothy Opurum, a lieutenant colonel, for an operation.

He added that the offence was punishable under Section 52(1) (a) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Opurum, who testified before the court, said the special forces were tasked with recapturing Delwa, a community in Borno just as Babulin and Damboa were also recaptured from insurgents.

Femi Falana (SAN), defence counsel, cross-examined Opurum, who said 47 of the soldiers initially refused but subsequently re-joined the forces for another operation.

Opurum added that 47 soldiers joined the operation after he called for reinforcement but came under attack from militants, who out-numbered them and had superior weapons.

The court was still ongoing when this report was filed.