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Army Court Martials 18 Soldiers
The Nigerian Army has court–martialled 18 soldiers involved in an alleged mutiny in May, in which revolting troops opened fire at a car carrying the general officer commanding the army’s 7 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Military sources said the General Officer Commanding (GOC), of the newly-created 7 Division, Major General, Ahmadu Mohammed, was targeted by soldiers who blamed him for the deaths of their colleagues.
The attack in Maimalari Cantonment, on May 14, humiliated the Nigerian military at a time the force came under international spotlight over the abduction of nearly 300 school girls in Chibok by the extremist Boko Haram sect.
Official said at the time that the rebellious soldiers were infuriated over the ambushing and killing of their colleagues by Boko Haram – an attack the soldiers blamed their superiors for.
Details of the charge sheet indicate that the soldiers have been charged for attempted murder and mutiny.
The internal memo, signed by the Commander, Army Headquarter Garrison, Brigadier-General B.T. Ndiomu, ordered the constitution of a General Court Martial, to be presided by Brigadier General C.C. Okonkwo.
Ndiomu, also ordered that the court martial be assembled at the garrison’s conference hall on June 26.
The military court is made up of seven members, two waiting members, a judge advocate and two prosecuting officers.
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 army accused the soldiers of attempting to kill the GOC, Major General Mohammed.
The soldiers had blamed the general for the deaths of their colleagues killed in an ambush near Chibok.
Sources had told newsmen that the soldiers were ambushed while on a special operation in Kalabalge Local Government Area where locals had killed about 150 insurgents and arrested 10 others.
After the operation, during which some military equipment were recovered from the insurgents, the soldiers, who arrived the operation location at night, were asked to return to Maiduguri.
The soldiers reportedly pleaded to be allowed to return to Maiduguri the next morning, as the night trip would be too risky.
Their request was allegedly turned down and the troop had to drive to Maiduguri at night.
“Those commanding the troop declined their request to pass the night in one of the villages on the grounds that the top ranks at the headquarters of the 7 Division would not be pleased if they don’t go back to Maiduguri that night,” said a ranking soldier, who sought anonymity.
The 7 Division, recently formed, is located in Maiduguri, the capital of the troubled Borno State.
But halfway through their journey, they ran into a Boko Haram ambush and 12 of them got killed while some others were injured, sources said.
The military later claimed that only four soldiers died in the ambush, before it increased the figure to six.
The survivors, in what seemed a vengeance mission, launched an attack on their commander, Mohammed, when they eventually arrived in Maiduguri.
Mohammed, was immediately redeployed to another command which the military did not reveal.
In its version of the attack on the GOC, the military claimed the soldiers did not shoot at their commander, but merely fired into the air.
“The fact of the matter is that troops on patrol around Chibok were ambushed by insurgents yesterday. Troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce combat and extricated themselves from the ambush killing several insurgents.
“Four soldiers however lost their lives during the ambush.
“On evacuation of the remains of the fallen troops, the General Officer Commanding addressed the troops who registered their anger about the incident by firing into the air,” the military spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, had said in a statement.
But in the charge sheet signed by Ndiomu, the army said the soldiers’ bullet only missed General Mohammed by a hair’s breadth, as at least one bullet struck the rear right door of his Sports Utility Vehicle, where the general sat.
“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,” the charge reads.
After the attack in Maiduguri, the Nigerian Army arrested the soldiers and instituted a military board of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their conduct.
The army charged 11 of the 18 soldiers with criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny among others.
The soldiers face a six-count charge of committing mutiny, criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, attempted murder, disobedience to particular orders, insubordinate behaviour contrary to and punishable under the law, and false accusation.
The charge sheet read that the soldiers inspired other military personnel of the 101 battalion to commit mutiny and also accused Lieutenant-Colonel E. Azenda, who is the Second in Command of the 101 battalion, of conspiring with other officers to kill the soldiers.
One of the charges read “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.”
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 Ndiomu not later than six weeks after the end of the trial.
List of all charges
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 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri conspired to incite other personnel of 101 Battalion 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 Battalion 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, at 7 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 Battalion to allow the corpses of 101 Battalion 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.
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.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.