Army court-martials 20 soldiers for ‘illicit arms sales, rights abuses’

The 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Borno State, has inaugurated a General Court Martial, GCM, to try four officers and 16 other ranks for offences bordering on criminal sales of arms to non-military persons as well as abuse of human rights during the ongoing war against Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast.
The Acting General Officer Commanding, GOC, 7 Division, Brigadier-General Victor Ezugwu, stated that the 20 accused persons were found wanting in the discharge of their duties in the troubled northeast part of Nigeria.

Speaking during the inauguration of the GCM, he explained that he issued a convening order for a General Court Martial “following the directives from Army Headquarters that a standing GCM be set up for Operation Lafiya to try offences committed by personnel within the Theatre of Operation.

“This GCM is therefore convened to try a total of 4 officers and 16 other ranks of the Nigeria Army who have committed various offences within the Theatre of Operation Lafiya Dole,” he said.

The GOC urged the court to achieve a timely dispensation of justice, and to avoid frivolous adjournments.

He charged the president of the 8-man court martial panel, Oluseun Adeniyi, to dispense the assignment in accordance with the appropriate laws and devoid of “bias, external pressures or by extraneous factors”.

Speaking to journalists after the inauguration, Ezugwu said the soldiers to be prosecuted were accused of illegal sales of arms and abuse of human rights.

“Some of them have committed offences that have to do with stealing and selling of ammunitions; some have committed offenses that are contrary to the ethics of professional soldiers; and there are cases of murder that are going to be tried,” he said.

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