Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana
(SAN), on Saturday, said 12 soldiers,
who were sentenced to death for
mutiny in September 2014, have been
starved and held underground by the
military.
Falana in an interview with Sahara TV,
which was monitored by our
correspondent, said the military was
denying the soldiers their right to an
appeal.
He added that it had been more than
one week since any of the soldiers
were fed food.
He said, “I am in touch with them (the
soldiers) and I am taking up their basic
complaints, which is that they are
currently being starved and
dehumanised by the military authorities
that are supposed to have taken them
to the jailhouse, having convicted
them. But they are being kept in an
underground cell somewhere in Lagos.
“Under the Armed Forces Act, soldiers
who are convicted and sentenced by
the court martial are entitled to appeal
to the Court of Appeal after the
authorities might have confirmed the
sentences. In this particular instance,
these 12 soldiers are among 66 that
have been convicted and sentenced to
death.
“The Chief of Army Staff ought to have
confirmed the sentences since
November (2015) in the case of the 12.
And in the case of the 54 others, it
should have been February, since they
were convicted in December (2014). In
other words, confirmation or review
should take place less than two
months after conviction.”
According to Falana, seven months
after, the military authorities have not
done anything. He added that the fate
of the soldiers had yet to be
determined because the confirmation
had not taken place and they had been
denied their right of appeal under the
Armed Forces Act and under the
Nigerian Constitution.
He further underscored the illegality of
the military authorities executing the
soldiers without allowing them exercise
their right of appeal, stating that the
country was no longer under a military
dictatorship.
“The soldiers did not commit mutiny.
They were asking for weapons to fight
Boko Haram and Section 217 of the
Nigerian Constitution says the
government of Nigeria shall equip
them adequately. In this case, the
government failed in its responsibility
to equip the army and simply asked
these boys to commit suicide,” he said
Credit: http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-on-death-row-starved-in-underground-cell-falana/

Wickedness in high placeses