Even in the military, there’s place for mercy

The convicts were reported to have fired on a car conveying their commanding officer, Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who headed the Army’s 7th Division, on May 14, 2014, in Maiduguri. At the time of the incident, the soldiers were said to have been infuriated when their comrades were killed in an apparent Boko Haram ambush, […]

The convicts were reported to have fired on a car conveying their commanding officer, Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who headed the Army’s 7th Division, on May 14, 2014, in Maiduguri. At the time of the incident, the soldiers were said to have been infuriated when their comrades were killed in an apparent Boko Haram ambush, and vented their anger on their superiors. Reports at the time suggested that their unfortunate comrades believed the insurgents were better armed and disregarded orders to return to their unit during night.
The soldiers were then charged with attempting to kill General Mohammed. The condemned men were in addition given life sentence each for conspiracy and attempt to commit murder.  They are Cpl. Jasper Braidolor, Cpl. David Musa, Lance Cpl. Friday Onun, Lance Cpl. Yusuf Shuaibu, Lance Cpl. Igomu Emmanuel and Pte Andrew Ngbede. The others are Private Nurudeen Ahmad, Pte Ifeanyi  Alukhagbe; Pte Alao Samuel, Pte Amadi Chukwudi, Pte Allan Linus and Lance Cpl. Stephen Clement. The six charges against them are (1) Criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny; (2) mutiny; (3) Attempt to commit murder; (4) disobedience to particular orders; (5) insubordinate behaviour; and (6) false accusation. Pte Ichocho Jeremiah received one-month imprisonment for being absent without official leave. The freed soldiers are Cpl. David Luhbut, Cpl. Muhamad Sani, Pte Ubong, Pte Sabastine Gwaba and Pte Inama Samuel.
Delivering judgment, President of the court Brigadier-General C. C. Okonkwo noted that the court’s decisions were subject to confirmation. The military’s tradition provides no extenuating circumstances for mutiny. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah was unequivocal at a recent event in Enugu when he reiterated that the ‘wages of mutiny is death’. The message is clear: the soldiers ought to be aware of the grave consequences of their action from the time they voluntarily joined the service.
Rebellion and insubordination in assaulting a General is the height of disrespect to constituted authority. Mutiny is the worst act of manifestation of indiscipline in the military. The episode will surely reopen debate in the army’s recruitment process, because it calls for the interrogation of the existing procedure in which the background of prospective recruits is not taken into consideration, so that even hardened criminals get through. Training and retraining of soldiers, particularly of the rank and file, on the procedures of advancing and managing legitimate grievances will also help to forestall deviant behaviours in the military.
Despite this however, there is need for the military authorities to also appreciate the frustration that could have driven the soldiers the extreme to dare the consequences of mutinous conduct. In the recent past, serious allegations were made against military authorities of holding back funds meant for purchase of weapons and to address soldiers’ welfare. Nigerian soldiers have always been found to be gallant in regional and continental peacekeeping operations. But the worrying stories of soldiers being outmanoeuvred and outgunned by insurgents in recent years leave several questions about the role of their political and military heads.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and a number of individuals and organisation have pleaded for mercy for the 12 condemned soldiers. NBA President Augistine Alegeh observed that the country has already lost too many soldiers to the violent activities of insurgents.  Without prejudice to the right of the military authorities to apply rules governing the conduct of their personnel, we add our voice to pleas that the capital punishment be commuted.