Worried by the overall implication of the
possible execution of the 54 soldiers
condemned by the Nigerian Army Tribunal,
the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on
Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary
Executions, Mr. Christof Heyns, has stated
that it will intervene on behalf of the
condemned soldiers by undertaking
'appropriate action' including communication
to the government of President Goodluck
Jonathan, to possibly avert the imminent
execution of the soldiers in Nigeria.”
This followed a petition submitted to Heyns
by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) in December 2014 in which
the group asked five UN human rights
independent experts to individually and
jointly use their “good offices and positions
to urgently request the Nigerian government
and its military authorities not to carry out
the execution of 54 Nigerian soldiers for
what the government claimed was disobeying
a direct order from their commanding
officer”.
The development was disclosed by SERAP
Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni in a
statement dated January 4, 2015.
According to Mumuni, “SERAP has been in
discussion with Johel Dominique at the Office
of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,
arbitrary or summary executions both on the
telephone and via email. Johel Dominique
has confirmed that the Special Rapporteur is
considering appropriate action to avert the
imminent execution of 54 soldiers on death
row in the country.
“We have also confirmed to the Special
Rapporteur that SERAP has the consent of
Mr. Femi
Falana, SAN, the legal counsel to the 54
soldiers to file the petition.”
“SERAP welcomes the decision by Mr.
Christof Heyns to intervene in the matter.
Given his longstanding human rights
commitment and achievements, we have
absolutely no doubt that Mr. Heyns will work
assiduously to ensure that justice is done in
this matter and we wish him well as he
strives to do that,” Mumuni stated.
SERAP had in a petition dated December 23,
2014 and addressed to five special
rapporteurs stated that: “It is not right or fair
to try everyone in mass proceedings, and that
such unfair trial should not send someone to
the gallows. Imposition of mass death
sentences is in breach of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to
which Nigeria is a party. This Covenant limits
the circumstances in which a state can
impose the death sentence.”
The five special rapporteurs are: Heyns,
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary
or arbitrary executions; Juan Méndez, Special
Rapporteur on torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment; Pablo de Greiff, Special
Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice,
reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence;
Mads Andenas, Chair-Rapporteur of the
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and
Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on the
promotion and protection of human rights
while countering terrorism.
According to SERAP, the court-martial held in
secret were “a mockery of justice” and
ignored issues raised by the condemned men
that “suggest lack of transparency,
accountability and general deficiencies” in
the handling of the security budget and arms
purchases.
The petition copied to Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al
Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights also stated that: “Under international
law, cases involving capital punishment such
as the present one require the full and
scrupulous respect of the guarantees of
highest standards of fairness, due process
and justice.”
“All human rights depend on their enjoyment
the right to life, which is the most
fundamental of all rights. The right to life
symbolises everything that the United
Nations works and stands for, be it in the
area of peace and security, development or
human rights. To reject the act of irreversibly
taking someone’s life is to embrace belief in
human progress and dignity,” SERAP also
argued.
According to the organisation, “The
imposition of mass death sentences is unjust
and
incompatible with fundamental human rights.
The UN General Assembly to which
Nigeria belongs has called for a worldwide
moratorium on execution. In fact, the Special
Rapporteurs have pointedly stated that the
right to life is a fundamental right, not a toy
to be played with.”
The organisation stated further that: “The UN
has also acknowledged the discriminatory
and arbitrary nature of judicial processes and
the danger of the death penalty being used
as a tool of repression. It has documented
evidence to show that the death penalty is no
deterrent,” stressing that “depriving a human
person of his or her life is incompatible with
the trend in
the twenty-first century.”
On Wednesday, December 17, 2014, the
Nigerian Army’s 7 Division General Court
Martial convicted 54 soldiers for conspiracy
to commit mutiny and sentenced them to
death by firing squad.
The facts of the case indicate that the
soldiers, from the 111 Special Forces, were
charged for
disobeying a direct order from their
commanding officer, Timothy Opurum, a
Lieutenant Colonel, to take part in an
operation to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and
Damboa in Borno State from Boko Haram
terrorists on August 4.
The United Nations human rights experts are
part of what is known as the Special
Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

http://www..com/2015/01/un-intervenes-to-save-fate-of-54.html

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A coup is brewing, countless soldiers have been failed by the corruption in the land they have protected with their lives.
When an incumbent president is not in good terms with notable retired but not tired Generals...
hmmmmm

The intervention is needed. How many soldiers do we even have to fight this boko haram that they want to kill few of the ones we have. I'm sure if they give them the right tools to fight with it will at least enable fair chance on the battle field.