Mutiny: Soldiers Deserve Death Sentence—Senate

The Nigerian Senate has maintained that it would not intervene to save the lives of 12 soldiers recently sentenced to death for mutiny.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, George Sekibo, according to Premium Times made this known in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with the nation’s service chiefs.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr. Sekibo the said the judgment convicting the soldiers was in the best interest of the Nigerian military.

“No we are not under pressure because the Armed Forces is established by an Act of the National Assembly.

“The Act spelt out categorically the conduct of soldiers and the way they are to behave wherever they are.
“If you join the military that Act is to guide you and your conduct.

 

“If you go contrary to any of the prescribed sections of the Act the punishment prescribed for the Act you violated will come on you.

 

“So the military did not just wake up one day and say that they are going to kill Mr A or Mr B
“They (military) went through the necessary processes and they found them guilty,” he said.

George Sekibo however said that soldiers found guilty could go on appeal and the rulings from the appeal would be binding on them.

It would be recalled Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana (SAN)  in December, wrote to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Kenneth Minimah, seeking full pardon for the 12 soldiers convicted and sentenced to death on September 15, 2014 by the General Court Martial in Abuja.

According to Leadership, Falana contended that the sentence of the soldiers who were tried and condemned for mutiny under section 52 (1) of the Armed Forces Act cannot stand on grounds that the judgement of the general court marshal was characterised by grave errors of law which occasioned miscarriage of justice.

The soldiers had on May 14, 2014 staged a protest over the killing of 10 of their colleagues by the Boko Haram sect which coincided with the visit of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Ahmed Mohammed to the Maimalari Cantonment.

This led to the shooting of the car of the GOC. Although he was not injured, Mohammed was removed as GOC and retired from the Army for not attending to the grievances of the soldiers.

- Leadership

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