No fewer than 501 Nigerian Army personnel have been court-martialled for indiscipline and other offences across the country, PUNCH reports.
The figures were based on collated media reports between November 2019 and July 1, 2022.
Saturday PUNCH observed that during the period under review, most of the personnel tried were those serving in the terrorism ravaged North-East geopolitical zone.
For instance, in November 2019, 70 erring personnel found defaulting in the counter-insurgency operation in the North-East were court-martialled.
In September of same year, an Army corporal was dismissed and sentenced to five years in prison by a military court martial after he was found guilty of defiling a 13-year-old girl in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Also, in October 2021, a total of 158 personnel were tried for offences bordering on alleged professional misconduct in the North-East.
In October same year, three separate court martials were inaugurated to try 227 cases.
Also, 107 cases were recommended for summary trials while 120 cases have been concluded.
A Major-General was dismissed from service after a court martial found him guilty of corruption on June 16, 2022.
In January 2021, a total of seven personnel were tried by the 7th Division General Court Martial sitting in Maiduguri.
Four soldiers were convicted for manslaughter, one sentenced to death by firing squad for killing an officer, Lt. Babakaka Ngorgi, among others.
Twenty-nine personnel are currently being tried for various offence committed during the counter-terrorism operations in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and other states in the region. Their trial commenced on June 24, 2022.
On July 1, 2022, six soldiers of the Nigerian Army began to face a court martial for indiscipline at the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu.
Speaking, a security expert, Jackson Ojo, said the alleged connivance of the personnel of the Nigerian Army with criminals was disturbing, urging the leadership of the service to do more to cleanse the Army.
Ojo said, “There is the need for us to cleanse not just the Army but our security agencies. It is disturbing to hear news of them (soldiers) collaborating with criminals. The Army should pay more attention to this to enable us to win the war against insecurity in the country.
“I know that apart from those who committed serious offences, there are some who were tried for complaining about fighting equipment. Though this is against their extant rules, we must address that issue.”
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyers