The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday said it would not plead with the Nigerian Army to spare the lives of 12 soldiers recently sentenced to death for mutiny.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, George Sekibo, said this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with the nation’s service chiefs.

The service chiefs were led to the high-profile meeting, which lasted over three hours, by the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr. Sekibo said the senate was not under pressure to intervene to save the lives of the soldiers because the judgment convicting them was in the best interest of the Nigerian military.

“No we are not (under pressure) because the Armed Forces is established by an Act of the National Assembly.

“The Act spelt out categorically the conduct of soldiers and the way they are to behave wherever they are.

“If you join the military that Act is to guide you and your conduct.

“If you go contrary to any of the prescribed sections of the Act the punishment prescribed for the Act you violated will come on you.

“So the military did not just wake up one day and say that they are going to kill Mr A or Mr B.

“They (military) went through the necessary processes and they found them guilty,” he said.

The committee chairman however said that those found guilty could go on appeal and the rulings from the appeal would be binding on them.

“But I think that those found guilty also have a way out. They can go on appeal and if the appeal finds them not guilty that will be it.

“But for what the military has done, they have done the best thing because you must instil discipline in the Armed Forces.

“If you don’t do so one day all of us here will be sacked and you will not hear of this place again,” he said.

Mr. Sekibo called on Nigerians to encourage the military to ensure that it discharged its duties effectively.

The 12 Nigerian soldiers were on September 16, sentenced to death for mutiny after firing shots at their commanding officer, Abubakar Mohammed, in Maiduguri on May 14.

A nine-member military tribunal, sitting in Abuja, convicted the soldiers.

Court president Chukwuemeka Okonkwo said the sentences were subject to confirmation by Nigeria’s military authorities but added there was no doubt about the gravity of the offence.

But while the Senate believes the soldiers deserve to die, the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, is pleading with
the Nigerian Army to lighten the death sentence.

The Acting President of the Union, Promise Adewusi, made the appeal at a news conference to express the view of the union on the verdicts passed on the soldiers.

The union said that in view of the numerous challenges confronting the military hierarchy, the execution of the convicts would not in any way restore discipline in the army.

Mr. Adewusi said although the convictions could not be faulted legally, the death sentence was harsh and unacceptable.

“We expect that the Military Council or the appropriate authority, whose responsibility it is to review sentences of this nature, should commute this sentence to a more tolerable or acceptable one.’’

Mr. Adewusi said the appeal was hinged on the fact that the execution of the soldiers, rather than restore discipline, “could sow the seed of a major security problem in the armed forces”.

He said that in confronting the nation’s lingering security challenges, it was important that commanders earned the confidence of their troops.

Mr. Adewusi said: “Nowhere is cohesion needed more than in the armed forces, especially in conflict period.”

He urged the military hierarchy to ensure that the ongoing war on terror was waged in a more transparent and coordinated manner.

“We are urging the military authorities to commute the death sentence on the 12 to a lighter sentence.

“As part of the process of addressing the conflicts and crises in our armed forces, we demand that the war be prosecuted in a more transparent, humane and orderly manner,’’ he said.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/headlines/168540-nigerian-senate-says-soldiers-sentenced-to-death-for-mutiny-deserve-to-die.html#sthash.MKwzAOpH.dpbs

Oh Lord have mercy... They deserve to die while our senators dey loot our treasury abi

It is a actually the suppose lawmakers that deserves such faith. They are the core traitors and the usurpers.

“If you don’t do so one day all of us here will be sacked and you will not hear of this place again,” he said.



The stetement above is simply why the senators want them killed. Not for the interest of the militry nor Nigerias. This is pathetic!

This the simple reason why Nigeria still needs anoda like 1000 years more to grow. Its a my-belle-first-reason and posterity-last policy for the majority of the population, esp the govt.
Shame on all ye so called "law makers" !
Treasury looters will be more apt.

they deserve to die? What den 'll hapen to those who deprive dem of their entitlement, or is dat also part of instilling discipline? God is watching oo!

redsun: It is a actually the suppose lawmakers that deserves such faith. They are the core traitors and the usurpers.

The word is "fate" not faith.

I just hate the "senate". Everytime you see them in proceedings, all they do is read newspapers and gist with the other guy sitting next to them. They are just totally useless.

If humans in authority can't intervene, God will do that.

According to the story I heard their colleagues were ordered to enter BH zone dead in the night after coming back from there. They appealed to their commander to allow them go back in the morning.

The commander insisted. They went, were ambushed and massacred. These 12 reacted in anger and are now sentenced to die. That's the. Story I was told.

Why is it so easy for everybody that there is a code of conduct for the military and any contradiction of the Act carries punishment... kill them!!! they know what they signed up for. If you have proof of senate looting, bring it out....!!!!

Mutiny is an offence punishable by death in the military. If not angry soldiers will kill all other soldiers and we won't have military again.
That's why there is a high level of discipline in the military, they don't tolerate mutiny or insubordination

Chaleeee: Why is it so easy for everybody that there is a code of conduct for the military and any contradiction of the Act carries punishment... kill them!!! they know what they signed up for. If you have proof of senate looting, bring it out....!!!!

I pray that what happen to those 12-soldiers will one day happen to you or member of your family, then you will know what they are passing through.

Justice should be tampered with mercy. By Law they deserve to die, but considering the circumstances that led to it, they should be given life imprisonment for the sake of mercy

meforyou1: Mutiny is an offence punishable by death in the military. If not angry soldiers will kill all other soldiers and we won't have military again.
That's why there is a high level of discipline in the military, they don't tolerate mutiny or insubordination

but the military can tolerate traitor (the GOC)
*who sent their colleagues to their early grave
* who cut their monthly allowance from N30,000 to N15,000
* who starve of food them in war front
* Who did not approve adequate weapon for them to battle BH
* who demoralize them in many ways.

may GOD save the lives of those gallant 12-soldiers

comos:
I pray that what happen to those 12-soldiers will one day happen to you or member of your family, then you will know what they are passing through.

They fuqed up!!! It cannot happen to me. I follow rules.

smileandlove: “If you don’t do so one day all of us here will be sacked and you will not hear of this place again,” he said.



The stetement above is simply why the senators want them killed. Not for the interest of the militry nor Nigerias. This is pathetic!

Don't mind the hypocrite
What shud we do 2 dem for all d moni dey stole nd all of d pippo dey av killed 2 nko

comos:
but the military can tolerate traitor (the GOC)
*who sent their colleagues to their early grave
* who cut their monthly allowance from N30,000 to N15,000
* who starve of food them in war front
* Who did not approve adequate weapon for them to battle BH
* who demoralize them in many ways.

may GOD save the lives of those gallant 12-soldiers

How sure are u of those things you wrote up there?

comos:
I pray that what happen to those 12-soldiers will one day happen to you or member of your family, then you will know what they are passing through.

hey, it's military we are talking about, not boys brigade or girls guild

it's the senators, lawmakers and politicians that are suppose to die.
“If you don’t do so one day all of us here will be
sacked and you will not hear of this place again,”
Bunch of selfish and greedy people who only care about how they can loot more money.

meforyou1: How sure are u of those things you wrote up there?

Hey! Guy wake up! You think they just decided to fire at their commander( or whatever he is) for no reason?

meforyou1: hey, it's military we are talking about, not boys brigade or girls guild

it seems you are a teenager

The soldiers should die...my condolences to their families.

They should die because they shot and missed their target.

What manner of rubbish is that? You know the gravity of shooting at ur commander and you did that and missed.

They should have made sure they got him but since they have proved to be incompetent soldiers who can't hit their target they should not be shown mercy.

It should be a lesson to other soldiers....sharpen your shooting skills or do not shoot at all.

If they killed the useless commander then other commanders will learn.

They failed in their mission cos of basic target practice. They should not receive mercy.

comos:
it seems you are a teenager

u r the teenager. U think military is boys scout