Latest reports indicate that the Nigerian Army have sentenced at least 15 soldiers to four years jail term for refusing to report to the war front in the northern parts of Adamawa State.
It was gathered that the soldiers had for the past three weeks facing court-martial since they allegedly commit the offence.
According to a report published by AIT online, the sentencing of the officers carried out by the Nigerian military command was done on Wednesday, 18 September, 2014, at the 23rd Armoured Brigade, in Yola, Adamawa State.
It was gathered that the Court Martial found the 15 soldiers guilty of insubordination, dereliction to duty and refusal to undertake order assigned to them in the war against the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East part of the country.
This is barely two days after the Nigerian Army sentenced 12 of its personnel to death by firing squad after they staged a mutiny and attacked the GOC, 3 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State.
This is barely two days after the Nigerian Army sentenced 12 of its personnel to death by firing squad after they staged a mutiny and attacked the GOC, 3 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Speaking on the matter, a top military source said the affected soldiers were those who ran away when Boko Haram struck their duty posts and fled back to the cantonment.
“In the military tradition, a soldier is expected to obey the last order but the 15 soldiers convicted by the military command were adjudged to have committed acts of insubordination by their refusal to draft to the warfront.” the unnamed source stated.
The source maintained that the decision of the military is intended to reinforce sanity and discipline in the Nigerian Army.
“The military has been grappling with soldiers deserting from their tour of duty only to re-surface with all manner of tales, and the development is gradually beginning to impugn on the integrity of the military establishment,” he added.
It would be recalled that Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) had few days ago called on the Nigerian military authority not to confirm the death sentence passed on 12 soldiers for mutiny and other offences.
Falana advised that the death sentence instead should be commuted to imprisonment in the interest of Justice.
As at the time of compiling this report, it is not yet known if the 15 soldiers would be pardoned.
