₦airaland Forum

The Nigerian military is set to court martial at least 100 more soldiers for a series of offences related to its fight against the terror group, Boko Haram, military sources told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday.
Officials said 118 soldiers have been transported from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to face charges in Abuja, a week after 54 soldiers were sentenced to death for refusing to fight Boko Haram.
It is not clear when the troops will be arraigned before a Military Court, but our sources said unlike their colleagues who were convicted last Wednesday, the soldiers awaiting trial are not accused of mutiny.
Army spokesperson, Olajide Laleye, said he was unaware of the development.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the soldiers are accused of relatively minor charges including loss or misplacement of rifles during operations against Boko Haram.
The allegations follow repeated reports of troops fleeing Boko Haram fighters and abandoning their weapons for the militants in the Borno and Adamawa States.
Boko Haram militants have flaunted arms they claimed were seized from government forces in several videos.
The military trials are seen as an attempt to instil discipline in a force that has struggled to contain the rampaging insurgents.
The 54 soldiers who sentenced to death belonged to the 111 Special Forces battalion attached to the 7 division of the army in Maiduguri.
They are to die by firing squad, the military court ruled last week.
The soldiers were accused of disobeying a direct order from superior officers to take part in an operation aimed at dislodging Boko Haram terrorists from Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State.
The soldiers said they refused to take part in the operation because the Army did not provide them with the required combat and support equipment needed for such operations.
Our sources said the convicted soldiers have been moved to Lagos to await appeal, or pardon or execution.
Also, in September, 12 soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad for shooting at a car conveying their commanding officer, Ahmed Mohammed, a Major General.
The attack occurred May 14 at the army’s 7 Division, Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, headed at the time by Mr. Mohammed.
Others were also sentenced to life in jail for criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit murder.
The soldiers revolted after some of their colleagues were ambushed and killed by Boko Haram extremists, an attack they blamed their commander for.

Unibenstudent:
When all the soldiers will revolt,we will enter another military rule,Jonathan as grand commander is incompetent.let's face it.

Unibenstudent:
When all the soldiers will revolt,we will enter another military rule,Jonathan as grand commander is incompetent.let's face it.

kingphilip:
I think most of the people who has made a comment on this thread turned a blind eye to something which I'll try to point out...

the soldiers if I'm not mistaken applied for this job on their own without any compulsion.. the work of soldiers I think is to protect the territory boundary of a nation and also to curb insurgency inclusive

in every profession, there are risks and hazards accompanying them and if u decide to venture into it it means u accepts all the risks involved in it

they are dying accepted, their weapons doesn't match that of the insurgents probably but is it today this weapons have been beyond par? I'm sure it has been so before they joined the force

on their court martial, I think every offender has a price to pay... in every organization, a query is issued and necessary actions taken and so if their court martial went through due process I'm sure not against it

thegoodone2:
can you or your son joing them. They need better equpment.fighter jet and good comunication.

Unibenstudent:
When all the soldiers will revolt,we will enter another military rule,Jonathan as grand commander is incompetent.let's face it.

[img]http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2014/05/09/rtr3nu0k.jpg?itok=-FzzkIo5[/img]

An Amnesty International report claims that Nigerian security forces had warning of an imminent attack four hours before Boko Haram abducted 300 schoolgirls from their school in Chibok in rural Nigeria, but failed to send reinforcements or otherwise act to prevent the abduction.

Amnesty International cites “multiple interviews with credible sources,” including two senior military officials, that say the military, state officials and the Borno state governor were all alerted of a potential attack by local officials who passed on reports of armed militants in local villages. The military knew an attack was planned prior to local warnings as well.

Between 7:00 p.m. on April 14 and 2:00 a.m. on April 15, local militia patrols repeatedly warned Nigerian military commands located 22 and 80 miles away from Chibok that a raid would occur. The raid occurred at 11:45 p.m. on April 14.

The military failed to respond accordingly because of a lack of resources and fears of being outgunned by better-equipped Boko Haram insurgents. Seventeen army personnel and the local police forces were left to respond to the attack, but were forced to retreat by 200 armed Boko Haram fighters.

“There’s a lot of frustration, exhaustion and fatigue among officers and [troops] based in the hot spots,” said one Nigerian officer, who confirmed that the military had prior warning. “Many soldiers are afraid to go the battle fronts.”

One local official says he was assured that reinforcements were on the way, but Amnesty reports that they didn’t arrive even after the abduction took place, and Boko Haram left with the girls in custody.


“It amounts to a gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians, who remain sitting ducks for such attacks,” says Netsanet Belay, Amnestry International’s Africa Director of Research and Advocacy. “The Nigerian leadership must now use all lawful means at their disposal to secure the girls’ safe release and ensure nothing like this can happen again.”

Approximately 50 of the girls were able to escape during the raid but Islamist militants abducted 276 of their classmates. Boko Haram’s leader said in a video that he would sell the young girls as bride slaves.

http://m.ibtimes.com/amnesty-international-nigerian-officials-military-had-four-hours-warning-boko-haram-1582591

kingphilip:
I won't join them because I know of all these and can't gamble my life

u were right they need them but why join the force when u know these are not available and u are endangering ur life

Unibenstudent:
When all the soldiers will revolt,we will enter another military rule,Jonathan as grand commander is incompetent.let's face it.

BlackSEER:
The only thing you know how to do is to blame Jonathan for everything.Even when the news is so unrelated to Jonathan,you will still mention him

Unibenstudent:
he is the president of nigeria not president of otouke,so yes I will mention him till 2015,then I will start mentioning buhari after then cos he will be president then.

BlackSEER:
Buhari will be president in ur dreams

nduchucks:
They are sentencing our great soldiers to death and prisons for offenses which the commander-in-chief helped to facilitate by creating an environment for failure. While Ihejirika and others cart away billions of naira to run for political office, those on the front lines are sent to harm's way with inadequate equipment.

Come February, 2015, the commander-in chief himself, GEJ, will be court martialed by the people and sent back to Otueke.

donmalcolm21:
We need utmost professionalism in the nigeria army.