The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday said it would not plead with the Nigerian Army to spare the lives of 12 soldiers recently sentenced to death for mutiny.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, George Sekibo, said this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with the nation’s service chiefs. The service chiefs were led to the high-profile meeting, which lasted over three hours, by the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr. Sekibo said the senate was not under pressure to intervene to save the lives of the soldiers because the judgment convicting them was in the best interest of the Nigerian military. “No we are not (under pressure) because the Armed Forces is established by an Act of the National Assembly. The Act spelt out categorically the conduct of soldiers and the way they are to behave wherever they are. If you join the military that Act is to guide you and your conduct. If you go contrary to any of the prescribed sections of the Act the punishment prescribed for the Act you violated will come on you. So the military did not just wake up one day and say that they are going to kill Mr A or Mr B. They (military) went through the necessary processes and they found them guilty,” he said. The committee chairman however said that those found guilty could go on appeal and the rulings from the appeal would be binding on them. “But I think that those found guilty also have a way out. They can go on appeal and if the appeal finds them not guilty that will be it. But for what the military has done, they have done the best thing because you must instil discipline in the Armed Forces. If you don’t do so, one day all of us here will be sacked and you will not hear of this place again,” he said. Mr. Sekibo called on Nigerians to encourage the military to ensure that it discharged its duties effectively.
The 12 Nigerian soldiers were on September 16, sentenced to death for mutiny after firing shots at their commanding officer, Abubakar Mohammed, in Maiduguri on May 14. A nine-member military tribunal, sitting in Abuja, convicted the soldiers. Court president Chukwuemeka Okonkwo said the sentences were subject to confirmation by Nigeria’s military authorities but added there was no doubt about the gravity of the offence.
However, while the Senate believes the soldiers deserve to die, the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, is pleading with the Nigerian Army to lighten the death sentence. (NAN)
Posted: at 24-09-2014 06:35 AM (9 years ago) | Newbie
dynasty4all at 24-09-2014 08:56 AM (9 years ago) (m)
RUBBISH, TRASH THESE SOLIDIERS CONVICTED, ARE THEY NOT BETTER THAN OUR SENATORS? THE ONLY THING OUR SO CALL SENATORS KNOW IS MONEY MONEY MONEY
Posted: at 24-09-2014 08:56 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Yes, it is true we have laws guiding every institution and at the same time, we must understand that these laws were made by human beings. It must not be so rigid as to the detriment of the maker. It can be bent in some situations. In this regard, why did they mutiny? Because the conditions they placed them, the soldiers are not conducive to them. They sent them to fight Boko Haram without the required amenities which all of us are aware and they have been crying over this. The oga asked their men on guard to come back, on their way BH ambushed and killed them. Do you expect them to start laughing? No. They were not happy and out of annoyance, they did what they did.
Please let us think again and pardon them by giving them life imprisonment. Please I use God beg una.
Posted: at 24-09-2014 09:39 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
graceoneday at 24-09-2014 10:38 AM (9 years ago) (m)
That's TrenchTownRock: I rather am a soldier for Christ Jesus than to be a soldier in uncomfortable country. You know that u must face the consequences someday, either by accuse or knowingly.
Posted: at 24-09-2014 10:38 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
oloche1984 at 24-09-2014 12:18 PM (9 years ago) (m)
if there is justice in Nigeria then these soldiers should not be killed, they are pained by incedence on ground and it is only a fool that when pushed to the extreme you are expected to react. It is even better this issue is coming out now, what i feel is, they ogas want these soldiers to die through which ever means, because they did not fall to the claws of boko haram as the ogas would have wanted, the want to use thier fellow junior soldiers to execute them. What an injustice, and the senators assented to this because they want to remain in power, God is watching ooo!!!
Posted: at 24-09-2014 12:18 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
ALL OF U ARE IDIOT, MR SENATE THEY DESERVE TO DIE COS THEY SHOOT THE ANIMAL MAJOR GENERAL WHAT OF THOSE THEY KILL ON THE STREET OR HIGHWAY, WHAT DO U DO??? ANIMA SENATE, OUR OIL MONEY U THIEF, WHAT CAN WE DO TO U I DECLEAR DEATH SENTENCED TO ALL UR FAMILY MEMBERS COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOURT
Posted: at 24-09-2014 01:38 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
If dia deserve to die,dat means ∂ General who dia intend killing shud also die 4 giving dem wrong information & nt providing dem wit gud weapons dat led 2 ∂ killing of dia fellow soldiers.do u ritualist dat cal υяѕєℓƒ senators knw hw it feels 2 watch ur fellow broda or friend die in a battle field??kill ∂ General as well,dats equal justice..I rest my case..COUURRT...
Posted: at 24-09-2014 03:14 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
Hello Poster, you see, the people have spoken. Nobody is in support of the phyukin senator. something led to their protest, that, they refused to investigate. If the senators' hands were clean, they would have sought for justice for them. Both the senators and the so called GOC have been sentenced to death by throwing alive in the lions den in any of the zoos in naija by our own court without appeal.
Posted: at 24-09-2014 09:47 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming