Reprieve finally came the way of the 27 soldiers of the Nigerian Army attached to the 323 Artillery Regiment, Owena Barracks, Akure, Ondo State, who were sentenced to life imprisonment and later seven years jail term, as the Army Council has granted them pardon.



The Army Council, chaired by the Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), who represented the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, however, discharged the affected soldiers from service on Friday.


The Director of Information, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who confirmed the decision of the Army Council, said that the affected soldiers would be paid all their full benefits.


It was learnt that the current decision was a direct fallout of a predominant feeling in the Army that the issue of the soldiers referred to as the ‘Akure 27’ be revisited.


An investigation by SATURDAY PUNCH showed that the Army Council had to reconsider the matter because the earlier verdict had the approval of the council.


“It is confirmed that the soldiers have been pardoned. They are, however, discharged from the Army. They will receive their full benefits,” the army spokesman said.


It was further learnt that the process leading to the eventual pardon of the Akure 27 was taken under the leadership of the new Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Onyeabo Ihejirika.


The 27 soldiers, who served in the 15th battalion of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, had demonstrated openly on the streets of Akure to protest the non-payment of the allowances meant for them while they were on the peacekeeping operation in the West African country on September 4 and 5, 2009.


The soldiers, who were being owed about six months’ salary arrears, were expected to be paid $1,228 per month.


As a consequence of their protest, which was considered a wilful violation of military rules, they were arrested and charged before a military court martial led by Brig.-Gen. Ishaya Bauka, which found them guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment in July 2010.


The Bauka panel found them guilty of mutiny in violation of Section 52(2) of the Armed Forces Act.


The judgement, which attracted sustained public outcry from all segments of the society, was later reviewed and converted to seven years by the army high command.


The affected soldiers are Sergeant Akwara Oliver, Corporals Princewell Onwunare, Paul Maikudi and Abass Salisu, Lance Corporals Okani Pope, Lawal Abubakar, Pascal Stephen, John Felix, Yomi Ibukun, Loveday Mmapie, Umar Abdulkadir, Musa Salisu, Innoncent Egbuna, Wanogho Shedrack and Bello Zaharaeed.


The others are Privates Chukwuda Onwukanjo, Jonathan Komo, Samuel Ogbe, Esther Nkawor, Mary Idoko, Olanihun Yetunde, Anthogan Jonathan, Salisu Ibrahim, Aderaloye Olalekan, Kabiru Mohammed and Anukan Kelechi.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012048333184

Other source: http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/nigerian-army-pardons-27-mutinuous-soldiers

We never really heard what happened to their officers who stole their $5,040 monthly allowances!

Respite at last. Good news, only wish dey look into d cause of d problem itself.

na2day!:

We never really heard what happened to their officers who stole their $5,040 monthly allowances!

My broda, Nigeria has a very long way to go. The next campaign should be flushing out the bad eggs from the army. A great percentage of them are an indisciplined bunch, witness the pictures of the pardoned men as an example. What county on Earth surface trains its army staff to pocket their hands and look so sloppy while in uniform?