Army Reduces Soldiers’ Death Sentence to 10-Year Imprisonment

The Nigeria Army has commuted the death sentence of 66 soldiers for the offence of mutiny in the ongoing military operation against the insurgency in the North-East to 10-year jail term.

Moreover, the soldiers were sentenced to death by two General Military Court-martials for mutiny and related offences last year. The 66 soldiers which were arraigned alongside others for charges including “criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mutiny, mutiny, attempt to commit an offence (murder), disobedience to particular orders, insubordinate behaviour and false accusation, amongst others.”

Five of the soldiers were however put on trial for the alleged offences were discharged and acquitted of the charges while a soldier got 28 days’ imprisonment with hard labour. It was said in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, on Saturday the sentences were commuted following a directive by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to review the verdicts.

Col. Usman said the directive was carried out and recommendations made to Buratai after each of the cases was examined on its merits before the decision was taken. He added that the panel was still looking into the cases of other soldiers the outcome of which would be made known to the public on completion of the exercise.