MUTINY: MILITARY COURT SENTENCED 12 SOLDIERS TO DEATH IN NIGERIA

Twelve soldiers sentenced to death on Tuesday morning by the Military Court Martial for mutiny on the 13 and 14th of May 2014 at the Maimalari Cantonment ,Maiduguri .They were among the 18 soldiers charged.

The soldiers were charged with six count of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, disobeying lawful orders and various acts said to be inimical to the military service.

The nine-member military Court Martial,  was presided over by Brig. Gen. CC Okwonkwo. Includes Col. TS Nurseman, Col. TO Olowomeye, Col. IG Lassa, Lt.Col. JK Feboke, Lt. Col. CR Nnebeife, Major I Yusuf, Major TA Yakubu and Major AE Martins. also found the soldiers guilty of insubordinate behaviour, use of abusive language, levelling false accusation against their superior officer,attempting to kill their erstwhile General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Major General Ahmed Mohammed by shooting at his official car, between May 13 and 14, 2014.

The court also found them guilty of preventing the movement of some of their injured colleagues to hospital and obstructing evacuation of their dead ones who were killed in ambush on their way from an operation in Chibok, Borno State.

Those to die are: Cpl. Jasper Braidolor, David Musa, Friday Onu, Yusuf Shuaibu, Emmanuel Igomu, Andrew Ngbede, Nurudeen Ahmed, Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Alao Samuel, Amadi Chukwudi, Alan Linus and Stephen Clement.
Jeremiah Ichocho, who was found guilty of Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL) was sentenced to two years without labour. Five were discharged and acquitted, having been found not guilty by the court.

However, legal team of the convicts pleaded with the court martial to temper justice with mercy.

The court said the sentences were subject to confirmation by higher authorities and acknowledged the right of the soldiers, who pleaded not guilty to most of the charges, to appeal the judgment.