The Nigerian Army has begun the court martial of one brigadier-general and 14 other senior officers in Lagos, on Monday night, over various offenses in the north eastern part of the country.
The army began their trial at the 9th Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Ikeja. They were alleged to have committed the offences while being deployed to lead various units in the battle to dislodge the dreaded Boko Haram sects in parts of the North.
Although journalists were prevented from entering the place, a senior military officer revealed to LEADERSHIP that it was a closed-door trial and only soldiers were allowed entry.
The officer disclosed that the trial was necessary in the army’s campaign against the Boko Haram sect in the country as it would serve as a deterrent to any soldier who may think of absconding from duty or betraying the force in anyway in the war against the terrorists.
It would be recalled that about 54 soldiers from the 111 Special Forces battalion attached to the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army were recently found guilty of mutiny and sentenced to death by firing squad.
They were accused of disobeying a direct order from their superior officers who ordered them to take part in an operation to dislodge the Boko Haram sect from Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State. They were to recapture the towns from the terrorists.
The soldiers’ defence was that they refused to participate in the operation because the army did not provide them with the required combat and support equipment needed for such operations.
In a similar development, a set of 12 soldiers were earlier in the year sentenced to death by firing squad for shooting at a car conveying their commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mohammed in September.
