12 Soldiers Sentenced To Death For Attempting To Kill Major General

Twelve among the eighteen soldiers of the 7 Division who attacked a General Officer Commanding (GCO) in protest over their poor welfare have been sentenced to death by a military court in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the 7 Division was created in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the north east. The soldiers had on May 14, 2014 fired shots at the General Officer Commanding of the Division, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mohammmed when he visited them at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
Their grouse against the military leadership were that they were owed allowance, and were not well equipped to fight insurgents. They also complained of lack of troop rotation.
Yesterday, 12 of the convicted soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad for mutiny, one was jailed for 28 days with hard labour, while five were discharged and acquitted.

Those discharged are Naaman Samuel, Iseh Ubong, David Robert, Mohammed Sani and Sebastine Gwaba, while Jeremiah Echocho was sentenced to 28 days with hard labour.

Others who were sentenced to death are Jasper Braidolor, David Musa, Friday Onuh, Yusuf Shuaibu, Igonmu Emmanuel, Andrew Ugbede, Nurudeen Ahmed, Ifeanyi Alukagba, Alao Samuel, Amadi Chukwuma, Alan Linus, and Stephen Clement.
The soldiers were charged with six count of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, disobeying lawful orders and various acts inimical to the military service.

The nine-member all military Court Martial headed by the President of the Court Martial, Maj. Gen. C.C. Okonkwo, found the soldiers guilty of insubordinate behaviour, use of abusive language, leveling false accusation against their superior officers, among others.

The 12 soldiers sentenced to death were found guilty of three of the most heinous charges bars.
Before their sentence, the legal team of the convicts had pleaded with the court martial to “temper justice with mercy,” after narrating the pathetic stories of the family backgrounds of the convicted servicemen to the Court Martial team.

One of the convicted was said to be the only son of his 80-year-old widowed mother, another, father of a five-month-old baby.

The defence team in their argument prayed that giving them maximum sentence would do more harm than good, pleading that it would increase the agony of their dependants.

However, they were found guilty of attempting to kill their erstwhile General Officer Commanding, 7 Division, Major General Ahmed Mohammed by shooting at his official car between May 13 and 14, 2014.
They were found guilty of three out of the six count charges against them, which are conspiracy, mutiny and attempted murder of Maj. Gen. Mohammed.

Below are the List of charges against the soldiers

Count 1:
Statement of Offence:
Criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny triable by court martial by virtue of Section 114 of AFA and punishable under Section 97(1) of the penal code CAP P89, laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
Particulars of offence: In that you on or about 14 May14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri conspired to incite other personnel of 101 Bn to commit mutiny.

Count 2:
Statement of Offence:
Mutiny punishable under Section 52(1) (b) of AFA CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Particulars of Offence:
In that you between 13 and 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri fired sporadically with intent to incite other personnel of 101 Bn against the authority of 7 Div.

Count 3:
Statement of offence:
Attempt to commit offences (murder) contrary to Section 95 and punishable under Section 106 of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Particulars of Offence:
In that you on or about 14 May 14 at7 DMSH Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri without justification attempted to kill Maj. Gen. A Mohammed (N/7915), the GOC 7 div( as he then was) by firing shots on his official vehicle (Command Jeep) which hit the right door where he sat.

Count 4:
Statement of offence:
Disobedience to particular orders punishable under Section 56(1) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Particulars of Offence:
In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri wilfully disobeyed an order by LT Col E Azenda (N/10517), 2i/c 101 Bn to allow the corpses of 101 Bn personnel killed in action on 13 May 14 to be moved to UMTH mortuary by preventing the movement insisting on the arrival of the GOC before such movement could take place.

Count 5:
Statement of Offence:
Insubordinate behaviour contrary to and punishable under Section 54 (1) (b) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Particulars of Offence:
In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri uttered abusive language “that officers are cowards” with threat to shoot the officers if they did not leave the premises.

Count 6:
Statement of Offence:
False accusation contrary to and punishable under Section 94 (a) of AFA CAP A20, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Particulars of Offence:
In that you on or about 14 May 14 at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri accused Lt Col E Azenda (N/10517), 2i/c of 101 Bn of conspiring with other officers to kill 101 Bn soldiers.

Names Of The Accused Soldiers, Their Ranks And Service Numbers:
96NA/ 42/6235 Cpl Jasper Braidolor
96NA/ 43/ 10277 Cpl David Musa
05NA/ 57/ 3451 LCpl Friday Onun
09NA/ 64/ 4905 LCpl Yusuf Shuaibu
09NA/ 62/ 1648 LCpl Igono Emmanuel
09NA/ 64/ 4214 Pte Andrew Ngbede
10NA/ 65/ 8344 Pte Nurudeen Ahmed
10NA/ 65/ 7084 Pte Ifeanyi Alukhagbe
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Alao Samuel
13NA/ 69/ 2907 Pte Amadi Chukwudi
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Allan Linus
93NA/ 36/ 1542 Cpl David Luhbut
97NA/ 45/ 7423 Cpl Muhammed Sani
03NA/ 53/ 816 Lcpl Stephen Clement
09NA/ 62/ 1648 Inama Samuel
09NA/ 64/ 5858 Iseh Ubong
10NA/ 65/ 6912 Ichocho Jeremiah
10NA/ 65/ 7343 Sabastine Gwaba.