THE Nigerian Army has started giving evidence against the former Brigade Commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, Brigadier-General Muraina Raji who is being court-martialled at the 3 Armoured Division headquarters in Jos for his alleged role in the escape of two Boko Haram detainees.


Army officer testifies against General facing court-martial over Boko Haram escapees


The court yesterday got the evidence of Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Vincent Kanu who submitted that the Command of Raji was unregimented as he did not assign proper duties to the officers under his command.


It was at this juncture that counsel to the accused officer, Mr. Ayodele Kusamotu, who held the forte for the defence lead counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, cross-examined the prosecution witness.

Kasamotu asked MWO Kanu that if General Raji was not a regimented Commander as he claimed, "whose duty it was to post guards?"


Kanu answered that it was the Garrison Commander that posts guards, and when he was asked who asked the Garrison Commander to post those guards to the detention facilities, Kanu said it was the Brigade Commander Raji who asked the Garrison Commander to do so.


The witness also answered in the affirmative the question by Kusamotu whether Raji gave order that they should organise security for those in detention. Answering another question, the witness said he has never attended Brigadier-General's courses to know what they do.

When the questions and answers which were claimed to have been written by the witness were shown to him, Kanu denied that he framed and asked Raji the questions.


Kanu, who was visibly shaking in the witness box, and who had described the detainees as being of high profile, was asked how he knew that they were high-profile detainees and whether there was any document from the army pointing to that. But he found himself boxed into a corner, saying that he manufactured the phrase because he liked to use it.


Asked again by the defence lawyer whether he knew the difference between magazine and arm-store, the witness answered in the affirmative, saying it was a place where explosive and dangerous weapons were kept. On another question, he said four guards were posted to the detention facilities and that they were sufficient to secure the place.


Still under cross-examination on "Part One Order," the witness said it was clear to him that it was published appropriately and that Brig-Gen. Raji had instructed the Garrison Commander to provide sufficient security for the detainees, explaining that the questions put to Raji in the question and answer form purportedly to have been signed by him was not signed by him.

Another senior military officer was to testify further against Brig-Gen. Raji by 4.pm.


The proceedings of the Special Court Martial were on Tuesday stalled because of the unpreparedness of the military prosecution to proceed with its case. When the court resumed after its adjournment on Monday to yesterday, the President of the Court, Major-General John Samuel Zaruwa ordered the prosecution to open its case.


It was at this juncture that the lead military Prosecutor, Lt. Col. A.A Ariyibi, told the court that they were not ready, adding that they should be given three days to put their house in order in accordance with Section 135 of the Armed Forces Act (AFA).

But the President said such an application was not known to the tribunal and was expected to sit every day except on public holidays. The prosecution's application was thrown out.