for attempted murder and mutiny in Maimalari
cantonment, Maiduguri, capital of Borno State,
northeastern Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES reports.
According to the report published online on Thursday, 10
July, 2014, eleven of the soldiers faced a six-count charge
including committing mutiny.
It was gathered that the Commander, Army Headquarter
Garrison, B.T Ndiomu, ordered the General Court Martial,
GCM, to be presided by C.C Okonkwo, a Brigadier
General.
The report stated that Mr. Ndiomu had directed that the
court martial be assembled at the garrison's conference
hall on 26 June.
Sources informed that the GCM was made up of seven
members, two waiting members, a judge advocate and
two prosecuting officers.
Other members of the court included: a liaison officer, a
contact officer, two officers authorized to sign any
amendment convening officer and eight other soldiers
who form the court secretariat.
The soldiers were to be court-martialed for an incident
that occurred on May 14, when some soldiers, angered by
the death of 12 of their colleagues in a Boko Haram
ambush, opened fire on the vehicle of Ahmadu
Mohammed, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 7
Division of the Nigerian Army.
Reports stated that the soldiers accused Mr. Mohammed
for the death of their colleagues killed in the ambush.
The soldiers were allegedly ambushed while on a special
operation in Kalabalge Local Government Area where
residents of the community had killed about 150
insurgents and arrested 10 others.
After the operation, during which some military
equipment were recovered from the insurgents, the
soldiers who had arrived the council, at night were asked
to return to Maiduguri despite pleads from the soldiers
to be allowed to return to Maiduguri the next morning.
"Those commanding the troop declined their request to
pass the night in one of the villages on the grounds that
the top ranks at the headquarters of the 7 Division would
not be pleased if they don't go back to Maiduguri that
night," said a ranking soldier, who sought anonymity.
It was gathered that half way through their journey, the
soldiers ran into a Boko Haram ambush and 12 of them
got killed while some others were injured.
The survivors, in what seemed a vengeance mission,
opened fire on their commander, Mr. Mohammed, when
they eventually arrived in Maiduguri.
The Nigerian Army, however, instituted a military board of
inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the conduct of
soldiers who fired some shots.
Punishment for the offences under the Armed Forces Act
include; death, imprisonment, dismissal with ignominy
from the Armed Forces, a fine of a sum not exceeding the
equivalent of three months' pay among others.
The accused soldiers are entitled to a defence counsel of
their choice. However, the convening officer must be
informed of the defence counsel 24 hours before trial
commences.
Below are names of the accused soldiers, their
ranks and service numbers:
96NA/ 42/6235 Cpl Jasper Braidolor
96NA/ 43/ 10277 Cpl David Musa
05NA/ 57/ 3451 LCpl Friday Onun
09NA/ 64/ 4905 LCpl Yusuf Shuaibu
09NA/ 62/ 1648 LCpl Igono Emmanuel
09NA/ 64/ 4214 Pte Andrew Ngbede
10NA/ 65/ 8344 Pte Nurudeen Ahmed
10NA/ 65/ 7084 Pte Ifeanyi Alukhagbe
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Alao Samuel
13NA/ 69/ 2907 Pte Amadi Chukwudi
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Allan Linus
The other seven soldiers also court-martialed but
yet to be charged are:
93NA/ 36/ 1542 Cpl David Luhbut
97NA/ 45/ 7423 Cpl Muhammed Sani
03NA/ 53/ 816 Lcpl Stephen Clement
09NA/ 62/ 1648 Inama Samuel
09NA/ 64/ 5858 Iseh Ubong
10NA/ 65/ 6912 Ichocho Jeremiah
10NA/ 65/ 7343 Sabastine Gwaba
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