Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,195,074 members, 7,957,000 topics. Date: Tuesday, 24 September 2024 at 02:38 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana (2785 Views)
$3.5 Billion Loan: Femi Falana Threatens To Sue FG / Why Femi Falana Was Not Made A Minister - Sahara Reporters / Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigerian Soldiers - Femi Falana (2) (3) (4)
Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by aforosco(m): 10:53am On Dec 19, 2014 |
Yesterday, the General Court-Martial sitting in Abuja which tried another batch of 59 soldiers for conspiracy to mutiny and mutiny convicted 54 of the accused persons and sentenced them to death while 5 were discharged and acquitted. The acquittal was designed to give the false impression that the dubious verdict was fair and just. The soldiers were in the SF 111 Batallion which has 174 instead of 750 soldiers. The soldiers in the Batallion were neither equipped nor motivated. They are young men whose ages range between 21 and 25. Most of them joined the army in 2012. With little or no training whatsoever they were deployed to fight the dreaded Boko Haram sect. The funds allocated for payment of the salaries and allowances of the soldiers and for purchase of arms and ammunition are usually diverted and cornered by corrupt military officers. Instead of bringing such unpatriotic officers to book the military authorities have engaged in the diversionary tactics of wasting the lives of innocent soldiers by sentencing them to death without any legal justification. On July 9, 2014 the Boko Haram sect launched a ferocious attack on the Batallion. As the soldiers were ill-equipped and ill-motivated the well armed terrorists killed 3 officers and 23 soldiers and inflicted serious injuries on 82 others. While sympathizing with the bereaved soldiers the army authorities assured them that adequate weapons would be provided to match the sophisticated weapons of the Boko Haram sect. But without the provision of the said weapons the soldiers were ordered on August 4, 2014 to recapture Delwa, Balubulin and Damboa in Borno State from the Boko Haram terrorists. The soldiers demanded for weapons so as not to lose more officers and men in the circumstance. A few soldiers who embarked on the suicidal mission together with the Commanding Officer were ambushed by the Boko Haram troops. When some weapons were made available on August 8, 2014, the soldiers moved to the battlefront, dislodged the satanic Boko Haram sect and liberated their captured colleagues and officers. They were commended for their bravery and sacrifice. But for some inexplicable reasons, the army authorities ordered that the soldiers be charged with mutiny for allegedly exposing the armed forces to embarrassment by asking for weapons! Thus, 60 soldiers were charged before the court-martial led by Brigadier-General M. Yusuf. The charge was however withdrawn against one of them on health ground. When the trial commenced against the remaining 59 the court-martial allowed defense correspondents and reporters to cover the proceedings. But the revealing testimonies of the prosecution witnesses embarrassed the army authorities. In particular, the defence pointed out that by not providing the soldiers with adequate weapons the Federal Government had violated Section 217 (2) (b) of the Constitution which provides that the Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea or air. It is public knowledge that it was when the trial of the soldiers was in progress that the President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, sought and obtained the approval of the National Assembly for a loan of USD$1 billion to purchase equipment for the prosecution of the war on terror. Up till now, the loan has not been utilized for the purchase of weapons! It was on the basis of such revelation that the court-martial resorted to sitting in camera and prohibited the media from further reporting the proceedings. In the judgment delivered yesterday the court-martial refused to consider the evidence led in court and convicted 54 of the soldiers for having the temerity to ask for weapons to carry out the task of defending the territorial integrity of the nation. Since the soldiers were justified in refusing to commit suicide the verdict which is characterized by gross miscarriage of justice will not stand. Apart from the fact that the Prosecution did not lead any scintilla of evidence to prove the 2-count charge of conspiracy and mutiny against any of the convicts the Court-martial did not consider the defence of the soldiers in any material particular. Convinced that soldiers who made a legitimate demand for equipment to fight the insurgents cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be properly convicted for mutiny we shall take all necessary legal measures to prevent the army authorities from giving effect to the genocidal verdict of the court-martial. We submit that the oath of allegiance taken by the accused soldiers is not a license to commit suicide. It is a solemn undertaking to defend the nation based on the expectation that the Federal Government would have complied with Section 217 of the Constitution on the mandatory requirement to equip the armed forces adequately. It is important to state that when equipment was made available on 18 August 2014, the accused soldiers fought gallantly. Femi Falana SAN. saharareporters.com/2014/12/18/halt-genocidal-elimination-nigerian-soldiers-femi-falana 5 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 9:16pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Baffling. The report by SAN. Femi Falana is heart breaking. Killing these young soldiers is nothing short of murder. I hope the court stops this madness before it gets out of hand. 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 9:23pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Military law says you are executed for abandoning post. Now that we have a court system that works there are people begging for an interruption of the national law because of their own sentiment and weak liver. Falana is a bastard. How many innocent people were raped and killed because these soldier ran away instead of protecting them. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 9:28pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo:I guess you did not read the post at all. If not, you would not have made such statement. The soldiers refused to fight because of they lacked ammunition. As soon as another group got arms, they went for the mission and did well. Yet, they are sentenced to be executed despite proof that they were not well armed. The constitution backs SAN Falana's point of view. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 9:55pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: Because he told you he lacked ammunition on his facebook after being sentenced to death? There's absolutely no proof to that statement and unless I was in the platoon with him I would refrain from making judgments off unproven statements. What can be proven was the fact that he swore his life to protect Nigerians and race in the face of battle leaving his equipment behind for boko haram to collect to use to kill the villagers that later died from his proven act. Soldiers are claiming they lack ammo, while boko haram raids them and comes back with APCs and anti helicopter rockets so I'm personally having a hard time believing this often politicial 'our soldiers aren't well equip' story. More importantly he knew if he ran he'll die. He felt if he'd fought he'd die. So he chose to run. We're not going to back track on our laws and legal system because of a facebook post or lawless sentiment |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 9:59pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo:President Jonathan applied for a loan to arm the Nigerian army. That alone will tell you how much our brave soldiers lack on the battle field. Also, it was stated that the task was carried out after arms were provided for them. So it is a clear case of them refusing because the lacked ammunition. It was after the task was done they were charged. So they did not go earlier because they lacked ammunition. Is it fair to you that our young soldiers who are ready to fight are being killed because they asked for weapons to do their job efficiently? 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 10:12pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: GEJ taking a loan to bulk up their weapons means they don't have weapons? That's not how it works. If you believe they were on the battle field with no guns that's fine but the picture above shows a young man in a modern bulletproof vest and uniforming on par with the developed world. If you didn't know, there are few armies in the world who's fighting forces are in bullet proof and Nigeria is among them and outside of South Africa and Egypt, alone in Africa. For you to look at this image and tell me that this man was on the battlefield with a bulletproof vest and world class fatigue but no gun is sentiment speaking. The Judge made a tough decision and should be applauded for having a backbone and not letting human sentiment get in the way of disrupting the law of this country. There is a weak rule of law in Nigeria because people only follow the laws that are convenient to them and easy. I'm going to tell you this again. By law, if a solider defects from post, he is executed. This is Nigerian military law, Federal law, and the international standard for armies across the world. 1 Like |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:18pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo:Can you tell the number of magazines he has for the mission? Are you saying you are just hearing that the Boko Haram fighters are more armed than our soldiers? Read the article. It is clear you did not read it. The proceedings of the court martial proved they were Ill equipped. The media was covering it until it turned ugly and the corruption going on was exposed. This led to the media being sent out. It is a fact they were Ill equipped. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 10:25pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: You continue telling me the things your hear and I'm telling you about the written law and established fact that he defected. If you desertion, under Nigerian Law, is punished by death. If you disagree with this law, contact you local senators office and petition him to begin a motion in senate to change it. This is how a law abiding country works under an organized democracy you can't pick and choose what laws you follow because of sympathy, sentiment and sorrow. Boko Haram gets it's equipment from robbing Nigerian soldiers that desert post. They rob our arms supplies. So what weapon does BH have that the Nigerian Army doesnt have? If you wish to use sentiment in your judgement be sentimental for the people that were killed because of this mans cowardly act. The girls that were raped and forcefully converted to Islam. Don't be sentimental for the coward when there were innocent people that were relying on him for their safety who were decimated. 2 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by deji68: 10:29pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
So the only excuse a soldier need to give for deserting on social media nowadays is ..." No equipment " even if he is posing on top of a tank fully kitted with all kind of weapons...I don't blame the cowards among them, there are lot of gullible audience here |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:31pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
deji68:Was that picture taking before he was sent on the mission? No. So why use that as a proof of ammunitions. We are talking of 54 soldiers asking for arms. 2 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:35pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo:If you took your time to read the article, you will be more objective with your points.
Please, is the quoted above from the article not the law? Desertion is abandoning your team. These young soldiers did not desert. They refused to go on a suicide mission and were ready to fight with the team when the ammunitions were available. Deserting is refusing to fight, even when ammunitions are available. 2 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by deji68: 10:37pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
so in ur own warped logic..the millitary took the weapon from them before facing BH....for ur info They said their refusal to obey orders of the Commanding Officer of the Special Forces Battalion, Lt. Colonel Opurum, was as a result of non availability of arms and ammunition to prosecute the instruction of the commander." ...Yet their commander, Lt-Col Opurum went with just 29 men and SUCCESSFULLY carried out the mission Did the brave soldier that followed Lt col opurum fight with their bare hand ? desertion the military is a serious crime God protect our soldiers thegoodjoehunt3: |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 10:43pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: You have not challenged my fundamental point, which is that the soldier broke the law and the court of law has issued it's punishment. There is no law in Nigeria that is negotiable because of secondary circumstances. I can not rob someone and tell the courts my wife didn't provide me with food. I can not r@pe someone and say by girlfriend is not sleeping with me. I can not defect my post because I feel that I don't have enough weapons to fight boko haram. Most important is you don't know as a fact that he didn't have ammunition. I don't know as a fact that he had ammunition, but I do know that the Nigerian law for desertion calls for execution, he deserted as a fact and will be executed. If you desert post, you are killed. There's no secondary excuse or way around it. We can't keep amending our laws when sentiment arises. Falana called this court order a genocide. To me it sounds like emotions and politics and not law and due process. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:50pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo:Can a superior officer call his troops, tell them to drop their weapons on the ground and go and confront the enemies without guns? Are you telling me that all of them will go? Go and do your research on the Port Chicago disaster in 1944. The officers refused an order because of the hazardous way they were working. Continuing in that manner of work was a suicide mission. They refused the order and were court martialed. Later, they were cleared of guilt. These soldiers were not armed. We should be finding out why our soldiers are sent to die like flies when they could be armed to win the war. This is not a case of desertion but a case of betrayal by their senior officers. Is it legal and lawful for a superior to divert funds used to arm soldiers of the country? |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by jaso1(m): 10:54pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
Ikengawo: If I were president the position of who lead our security forces will be thrown open with mutiny charge for whoever occupy it without meeting target. These guys are part of us and I cant wish any of my enemy to die. The question is why would you send your son to a battle you already know he can't defeat base on available information but to proved that he signed to die? Nigeria must rise against this madness and fight injustice on our soldier's brother. 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:54pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
deji68:If you read the article, you would have noticed that the second group went for the task after the arrival of arms.
|
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 10:57pm On Dec 19, 2014 |
jaso1:These going men took an oath to die for this country. Our government spend billions granting militants amnesty but our young soldiers are left to die unarmed. Instead of providing these young soldiers with ammunitions to fight the enemy, they want them killed. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 12:34am On Dec 20, 2014 |
jaso1: The law isn't about what you wish, it's about what's written. Your wishes, Jonathan's wishes, and that soldiers wishes aren't relevant and this is where the term 'the law is blind' comes from. That's the disconnect between what you're understanding is and what I'm trying to teach you. It doesn't matter what the judge, the military, GEJ, PDP, APC, Falana, and the soldier wishes. If you break the law you invoke the consequence and that's the way civilization works. The law must be like the sun. No matter how you feel about the heat it will be hot and it's up to the soldier and the citizens to do what they need to do to deal with the rule of law (heat), not up to the rule of law (sun) to change to accommodate our wishes. Your argument is only rooted in sentiment and sympathy. I commend you for being a kind person, but that's why you're not a judge. The madness Nigeria must raise against is sentiment and emotions. We have been a country ruled by emotions and not laws for years and that's why it's lawless. More importantly leave Jonathan out of this. Nigeria has been a dictatorship for ages so it's hard for use to adjust our thinking to suit the new reality but the current reality that even his enemies will attest to is that Jonathan is a democrat and follows the Yar'Adua school of 'rule of law' building. Once those soldiers defected it was out of Jonathan's hands. GEJ doesn't control the law, he can only carry out initiatives sent to him by the senate. Those men broke the law, they went to court, the judge sentenced them to death, they are to be killed by and execution squad. Jonathan is not a part of that process at all. He's not God. In a dictatorship because of someone's emotions they can say 'I don't want this person punished for defecting' and that will happen. A President isn't a God. Obasanjo had the wrong idea and so did others before him and this is why our country is playing catch up. Enough is enough. You break the law you're punished. Citizens with issues about that need to go to their senators office in their local government and petition for him or her to start a motion on the floor of the senate. These men deserted their post and allowed hundreds to be killed because of cowardice. The villagers that were slaughtered and r@ped by boko haram who much ammunition did the federal government give them? Your argument isn't holding up. 3 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by deji68: 12:40am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Hmnnnn Deep....... Ikengawo: 1 Like |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Duru1(m): 12:43am On Dec 20, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: What arrant nonsense. The Nigerian policemen who mount road blocks were not deployed without ammunition talk less of soldiers ordered to engage in gun battle. Moronic dingbat such as Femi Falana is one reason among many reasons Nigeria remains a joke. 1 Like |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 12:50am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Duru1:The had ammunitions but they were not well equipped. For instance, they did not have enough bullets. You might needs ten magazines of bullets and you are sent out with only two. Then you are not well equipped for the war. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by deji68: 12:53am On Dec 20, 2014 |
make u noo mind am ...."ill equipped" that is the new word for cowardice.....I think Mr Falana should define what an "ill equipped" soldier has in is possesion....A Dane Gun?...The Civillian JTF have sometime only Bow and arrow yet the partake in military op with the army....watching cnn just now saw some Female Turkish soldier in war front of Kobani...Their infantry weapon doesnt look better than what our Military parade....some are not even paid .... Duru1: |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 12:53am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Ikengawo:No matter how long you make your posts, those soldiers wanted to fight but they were not well equipped. 54 soldiers can not all be stupid. Why are you not interested in the fact that there was exposure of corruption during the case? You make it look like if Superior officers are always right. How come some are dismissed. GIVE THE SOLDIERS ENOUGH AMMUNITION AND NOT DEATH. 2 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 12:57am On Dec 20, 2014 |
deji68:Remember, this is a case of 54 soldiers. Some where trained by American forces. The question is, were they given enough Ammunition. The Lawyer has presented his case. The Civilian JTF using Bow and Arrow are not in the war front against machine guns. They asked for ammunition and they were given death. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 12:59am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Duru1: The people that have been calling themselves opposition in this country are a disappointment. PDP is one of the least popular entities on earth, but APC has found a way to be worst which before was felt to be impossible. Any issue will become politics. Anything. Skill politicians wait for an opportunity then they strike. APC will be swinging in the dark every day, every night, and when it comes time to actually run an election will be to tired to fight and people will be tired of hearing from them which is the case. If you say everything that happens in Nigeria is proof that GEJ is bad, nobody will believe you. Then when GEJ actually does something bad and you say it, nobody will believe you because they know it's all you can even talk about whether it's true or not. This is why we have no opposition in Nigeria. By being open to the opposition growing and speaking freely and protecting their rights as citizens GEJ has become the least opposed leader we have ever had. This is because the opposition has killed it's self and it's credibility. They are faulting him for court cases he's not even involved in, lying every single day about our troops being weak and useless, and bombarding our lives with insult upon insult without a single strategy or objective outside of getting Nigerians to become angry and sentimental. Though this nobody listens to them anymore. There are a few on the internet working day and night to spread the same hate they've been spreading since Yar'Adua was sent to the hospital. Is this a strategy? Do you think we will listen to it for 6 years straight? Every single hour of the day? 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 1:02am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Has anyone noticed GEJ never speaks about the opposition? He only speak about his self and his administration. You won't hear him lock horns with anyone over anything. If opposition is saying GEJ everyday, and GEJ is saying GEJ everyday, when people go to vote who's name do you think will be in their heads? Good or bad if I Google Goodluck Jonathan I get 10 million responses and i'm willing to bet he's the only man alive with that name. When I Google Muhammadu Buhari I get 1 million some and he's not the only man alive with that name. So what is the end result because APC is more present online than they are in the streets? These people don't know politics. It's a party of people that were out manuevred in PDP, APGA, governor's forum or employees of Bola Tinubu coming together to fight the people that have been mastering them in politics. What makes anyone think a collection of losers will win against a coalition of the people that defeated them in the first place? APC is a party of losers and this sentimental, emotional, erratic and mindless party hoping is one of the primary reasons this is so 2 Likes |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Duru1(m): 1:03am On Dec 20, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: Who informed you that the standard issue to a soldier is ten magazines (clips) before he or she could engage in gun battle? |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 1:05am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Duru1:Abi, you can not read for instance. If I knew the standard amount of magazines soldiers use, will I use for instance? 1 Like |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by thegoodjoehunt3(m): 1:07am On Dec 20, 2014 |
Ikengawo:We are talking about the lives of our young soldiers and you are here talking APC/PDP/Tinubu. 1 Like |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Duru1(m): 1:07am On Dec 20, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: If USA soldiers are decorated with bullets does not means any soldiers outside USA should be weighed down with bullets. Besides, insurgents in Afghanistan do not carry as much ammunition as USA soldiers do yet the insurgents still engage the USA troops in gun fight. |
Re: Halt The Genocidal Elimination Of Nigeriansoldiers - Femi Falana by Ikengawo: 1:08am On Dec 20, 2014 |
thegoodjoehunt3: So because you're losing the argument you think capital letters will convince me that Nigeria should stop enforcing it's laws? People that throw words like 'genocidal' and 'corruption' around anyhow are the ones that are killing Nigeria. They want to say Nigeria is corrupt because it doesn't favor them. So when someone loses (election, court case, business, politics) they will say it's because of corruption and not from their own lack of intelligence, ability and strength. When someone knows they can't win they will start throwing the word genocide around to inflame the ever ready pool of sentiment that is Nigeria. We're tired of that. You can't run from your post because of your feelings. Police and custom officers at airports are armed. Even village vigilantes. Nigerians aren't stupid enough to believe soldiers on the front line aren't armed. And again tell me what this solider and his facebook account thinks those villagers are armed with? If he's running because he has no arms he's at least lucky to have a military vehicle to run with. What do these people in the poorest part of Nigeria that were left to die have? You can tell me in lowercase or capital letters but I feel based on reading your posts the answer won't be sufficient. 1 Like |
Obasanjo Took To Tweeter To Ridicule Goodluck Administration / Transformation Tinz: Femi Fani-kayode Picks Young Lover / Vote For Ambode Or Perish Inside The Lagoon, Oba Akiolu Tells Igbos
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 152 |