The Nigerian Army has finally court-martialled 18 soldiers implicated in an alleged mutiny on May 14, 2014, in which revolting troops opened fire at a car carrying the Commanding General of the Army’s 7 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the newly-created 7 Division, Ahmadu Mohammed, a Major General, had been targeted by soldiers who blamed him for the deaths of their colleagues while returning from an operation against Boko Haram insurgents.

An exclusive report by the PREMIUM TIMES daily online newspaper gave the names, ranks and service numbers of the court-martialled soldiers as follows:

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

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

PREMIUM TIMES quoted an internal memo, signed by the Commander, Army Headquarter Garrison, B.T. Ndiomu, as ordering the constitution of a General Court Martial, to be presided by C.C Okonkwo, a Brigadier General.

Mr. Ndiomu, also a Brigadier General, ordered that the court martial be assembled at the garrison’s conference hall on June 26, the paper said.

“The military court is made up of seven members, two waiting members, a judge advocate and two prosecuting officers,” PREMIUM TIMES said. “Others members include: a liaison officer, a contact officer, two officers authorized to sign any amendment convening officer and eight other soldiers who form a court secretariat.”

The report disclosed that the army charged 11 of the 18 soldiers with criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny among others.

It quoted one of the charges as reading “that you between 13 and 14 May 2014 at Maimalari cantonment in Maiduguri fired sporadically with the intent to incite other personnel of 101 battalion against the authority of 7 Division.”

Continuing, PREMIUM TIMES wrote: “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.

“The convening officer is also expected to appoint a counsel if the accused persons fail to secure one.

“The president of the GCM is expected to submit six bound copies of the proceedings of each case to Mr. Ndiomu not later than six weeks after the end of the trial.”

Below is the list of all charges as contained in the report:

Count 1:

Statement of Offence: Criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny triable by court martial by virtue of Section 114 of AFA and punishable under Section 97(1) of the penal code CAP P89, laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

Particulars of offence: In that you on or about 14 May14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri conspired to incite other personnel of 101 Bn to commit mutiny.

Count 2:

Statement of Offence: Mutiny punishable under Section 52(1) (b) of AFA CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Particulars of Offence: In that you between 13 and 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri fired sporadically with intent to incite other personnel of 101 Bn against the authority of 7 Div.

Count 3:

Statement of offence: Attempt to commit offences (murder) contrary to Section 95 and punishable under Section 106 of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Particulars of Offence: In that you on or about 14 May 14 at7 DMSH Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri without justification attempted to kill Maj. Gen. A Mohammed (N/7915), the GOC 7 div (as he then was) by firing shots on his official vehicle (Command Jeep) which hit the right door where he sat.

Count 4:

Statement of offence: Disobedience to particular orders punishable under Section 56(1) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Particulars of Offence: In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri wilfully disobeyed an order by LT Col E Azenda (N/10517), 2i/c 101 Bn to allow the corpses of 101 Bn personnel killed in action on 13 May 14 to be moved to UMTH mortuary by preventing the movement insisting on the arrival of the GOC before such movement could take place.

Count 5:

Statement of Offence: Insubordinate behaviour contrary to and punishable under Section 54 (1) (b) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Particulars of Offence: In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri uttered abusive language “that officers are cowards” with threat to shoot the officers if they did not leave the premises.

Count 6:

Statement of Offence: False accusation contrary to and punishable under Section 94 (a) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Particulars of Offence: In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri accused Lt Col E Azenda (N/10517), 2i/c of 101 Bn of conspiring with other officers to kill 101 Bn soldiers.

•Photo shows Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Kenneth Minimah.

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