DESERVED OR MERCY? NIGERIAN SOLDIERS ON DEATH ROW FOR REFUSING TO FIGHT BOKO HARAM NOW TO SPEND 10 YEARS IN PRISON

NIGERIAN SOLDIERS IN CONVOY

The Nigerian military authorities are reported to have today, Saturday, announced that it had changed the death sentences of the 66 soldiers who were tried for mutiny based on their refusal to fight Boko Haram Islamists, stating that the soldiers will now serve a 10 year prison term. The death sentences of the 66 had earlier been confirmed in January and March, 2015 by a military council.

The Army through a statement by Colonel Sani Usman said the sentences of death by firing squad passed on 66 soldiers in 2015 by two different general court Martials had been reviewed by the authorities and each of the soldiers would now spend time in prison.

The 66 were among 71 soldiers who were put on trial on charges including criminal conspiracy and conspiracy to commit mutiny. They were, however, found guilty and convicted on other charges which included mutiny. The 66 were the only ones who were sentenced to death, five were discharged and acquitted and one was imprisoned for 28 days with hard labour.

It would be recalled that Nigeria lost territorial control over a number of communities in the North East of the country during former president Goodluck Jonathan’s regime to Boko Haram and the blame was severally put on Nigerian soldiers who were said to have abandoned their duty posts and fled before and in the course of attacks by the insurgents.

The soldiers and even officers mostly gave the reason of not being properly and adequately kitted for the discharge of their duties as cause for their fleeing. This reason at first seemed farfetched but recent happenings have shown that this must be true. Reports then had it that Nigerian troops atimes escaped into neighboring countries in a bid to save themselves from the superior fire power of the Boko Haram fighters. Sambo Dasuki, National Security Adviser under the Jonathan administration and other principal figures of that era are undergoing trial for the diversion of billions of foreign currency meant to equip the military for its war against Boko Haram.

The battle against the insurgents is still ongoing years after but the Buhari regime has promised to end it very soon, we look forward to this. One can only hope that the situation has changed and the military personnel are now better equipped and ready to meet head on with the insurgents.

Again the military authorities state that 579 officers and soldiers are still undergoing trials over acts of indiscipline. Do they have the same reason as the 66? How are their individual cases being handled to avoid the controversy that trailed the last case? Things must indeed change.