TheCable

A general court-martial sitting at Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja has sentenced four soldiers to death for mutiny.

The military court delivered its judgment in a separate case involving five soldiers on Wednesday.

On December 17, the court sentenced 54 soldiers to death for the same offence.

The latest soldiers to be sentenced to death were accused of disobeying an order of their commanding officer, Timothy Opurum, a lieutenant colonel, to dislodge Boko Haram militants at Delwa, Damboa and Bulabulin in Borno state.

However, in defence, the accused soldiers through their counsel, Femi Falana, argued that they only asked for weapons to fight Boko Haram, and refused to be sent to battle without weapons.

Earlier in September, 12 soldiers were sentenced to death for mutiny, after they were found guilty of firing at Ahmed Mohammed, their commanding officer.

The four soldiers on death row are Isaiah Olofu, lance corporal; Ayodele Olawale, lance corporal; Bankole Taiwo, lance corporal; and Adebayo Gbenga, private.

The fifth soldier, Sule Ochehepo, was not found guilty of the charges against him and was thus discharged and acquitted.

Some 100 soldiers are still to be court-martialled, and among them are senior officers.

It is not certain when the trial will begin, as Olajide Laleye, army spokesman, declined to confirm the development.

However, he said that the trial of erring soldiers was a process that would continue in the army to keep discipline.