MILITARY authorities have stepped up the prosecution of erring officers found wanting in the war against Boko Haram by ordering a brigadier and 21 other soldiers to face a court martial over alleged sabotage. Last month, 54 soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad by a General Military Court Martial set up by the Nigerian Army after being found guilty of mutiny. Over the last few months, there have been at least two major court-martials in which 66 soldiers have been sentenced to death for mutiny. In a big crackdown on dissent, mutiny cowardice and a lack of professionalism within the armed forces, the military is stepping up the trials of soldiers for their failings against Boko Haram. In December, the Nigerian Army also dismissed 203 soldiers after a secret court martial for allegedly disobeying a direct order from their commanding officer to take on Boko Haram. Altogether, the total number of troops convicted and sentenced to death by the Nigerian Army for Boko Haram-related offences add up to 70. In the latest crackdown, the 22 soldiers have been arraigned before a court martial at the Ikeja Military Cantonment in Lagos and the case is expected to last for over a week. Soldiers the Nigerian Army have long been suspected of colluding with Boko Haram by leaking military secrets to them and carrying out acts of sabotage. In a bid to stamp this out once and for all, the army has decided to arraign a brigadier, 14 colonels, a major, five captains and a second lieutenant in its latest court martial. One military source said: “The officers are being prosecuted for offences they committed during the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast of the country.” Most of the convicted soldiers so far have been from the 111 Special Forces Battalion, in Maiduguri and were found guilty of conspiracy to commit mutiny. Sabotage and cowardice have been other offences the soldiers have been charged with.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 20:29:21 +0000
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