The Nigerian army is set to arraign 16 soldiers over the abduction of the over 200 Chibok girls who were taken by insurgents from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State in April.
After the Sallah holidays, the soldiers are expected to be present at the General Court Martial at the Maxwell Khobe Military Cantonment, Rukuba, Jos in Plateau State, Punch reports.
Three of the 16 soldiers are officers. They are Lieutenant Col. A. O. Ojo, 2nd Lieutenant V.I. Godknows, and Captain O. O. Ogunrinde.
According to reports, the officers are being charged for “failure to perform military duty, an offense that attracts a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.”
A source told Punch that:
“Only Lieutenant Godknows and 13 soldiers were on duty in Chibok. They were not stationed within the school. No soldier was stationed in the school and they didn’t know that the school was in session.
Nobody notified these people that the girls were having an examination in the school. Even the principal admitted in her statement that the soldiers were not notified.
They were told that their camp was about to be attacked so they went out to lay in ambush for insurgents. One of the soldiers died.
But I can confirm to you that the Army has concluded preparations to arraign them.”
The 16 are among 117 soldiers facing a GCM convened by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Army in Kaduna, Maj.Gen. K. C. Osuji, on August 6, 2014.
There appears to be an element of scapegoating here; wanting to assign blame to a few soldiers, some of whom were just doing what they were supposed to. It seems as though being a courageous officer in the Nigerian Army can make you a lot of enemies.
Abuja — There is outrage and misgivings among a section of the military, over the decision of the General Court Martial convened by the Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja, Brigadier General BT Ndiomu, to try a Lieutenant Colonel A. O. Ojo and 37 soldiers who were under his command for mutiny even after it emerged that the officer single handily, braved the odds and led troops to storm Sambisa forests in search of the abducted over 200 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok.
Recall that the General Court Martial to be presided over by Brigadier General Musa Yusuf will on 15th October, commence the arraignment of 97 soldiers including four Lieutenant Colonels, one Major and four Captains on charges related to Mutiny, Assault; Absence without leave (AWOL); House breaking, Conduct prejudicial to good orders, and Service discipline as well as Offences relating to Service property among others.
Soldiers accused of mutiny tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Abuja on October 2, 2014. Nearly 100 soldiers tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's far northeast appeared at a military court martial on Thursday, facing a range of charges including mutiny. The hearing comes just weeks after a tribunal sentenced 12 soldiers to death following their conviction for shooting at their commanding officer in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in May.
Vanguard gathered that several officers including some retired Generals and soldiers who knew about the exploits of the Lieutenant Colonel and his daring foray into Sambisa forest where he personally led from the frontline and coordinated the attack on and destruction of Boko Haram Camps before retreating were shocked that such an officer could be treated with a court martial arraignment.
According to sources, the officer as Commander of the Battalion in Konduga, led Special Forces of the Nigerian Army to stop daring attacks from Boko Haram terrorists into Bama several times before the massive attack that led to its fall when a Brigadier General who was in charge at 21 Brigade could not with stand Boko Haram infiltration.
The Lt. Colonel and his men successfully held Konduga and stoutly provided the leadership that enabled his troops to lead from the ground while airforce jets provided air attack during the attack and killing of over 50 Boko Haram terrorists in Kawuri, resulting in the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition.
Reliving what happened when the officer led his men into Sambisa, an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "During the botched operation to locate and rescue the Chibok girls, several Battalions were programmed to enter the vast jungle and forest area from the North, East, West and South of Sambisa. The officer and his men entered from the Konduga axis and took on any enemy on sight, killing terrorists and destroying camp after camp, until they were called back".
"The officer and his soldiers were later to discover that the other battalions that were to infiltrate the forest from their sectors did not move in, obviously due to superior orders". The 'superior' who gave those orders is the one who should be court-martialled. Allowing one group to enter the forest then withdrawing the others is darn close to premeditated, attempted murder.
After the Sallah holidays, the soldiers are expected to be present at the General Court Martial at the Maxwell Khobe Military Cantonment, Rukuba, Jos in Plateau State, Punch reports.
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| Nigerian soldiers arraigned for general court-martial |
According to reports, the officers are being charged for “failure to perform military duty, an offense that attracts a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.”
A source told Punch that:
“Only Lieutenant Godknows and 13 soldiers were on duty in Chibok. They were not stationed within the school. No soldier was stationed in the school and they didn’t know that the school was in session.
Nobody notified these people that the girls were having an examination in the school. Even the principal admitted in her statement that the soldiers were not notified.
They were told that their camp was about to be attacked so they went out to lay in ambush for insurgents. One of the soldiers died.
But I can confirm to you that the Army has concluded preparations to arraign them.”
The 16 are among 117 soldiers facing a GCM convened by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Army in Kaduna, Maj.Gen. K. C. Osuji, on August 6, 2014.
There appears to be an element of scapegoating here; wanting to assign blame to a few soldiers, some of whom were just doing what they were supposed to. It seems as though being a courageous officer in the Nigerian Army can make you a lot of enemies.
 |
| Lieutenant Colonel A. O. Ojo seen here with President Goodluck Jonathon |
Recall that the General Court Martial to be presided over by Brigadier General Musa Yusuf will on 15th October, commence the arraignment of 97 soldiers including four Lieutenant Colonels, one Major and four Captains on charges related to Mutiny, Assault; Absence without leave (AWOL); House breaking, Conduct prejudicial to good orders, and Service discipline as well as Offences relating to Service property among others.
Soldiers accused of mutiny tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Abuja on October 2, 2014. Nearly 100 soldiers tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's far northeast appeared at a military court martial on Thursday, facing a range of charges including mutiny. The hearing comes just weeks after a tribunal sentenced 12 soldiers to death following their conviction for shooting at their commanding officer in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in May.
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| Brigadier General. Musa Sain Yusuf |
According to sources, the officer as Commander of the Battalion in Konduga, led Special Forces of the Nigerian Army to stop daring attacks from Boko Haram terrorists into Bama several times before the massive attack that led to its fall when a Brigadier General who was in charge at 21 Brigade could not with stand Boko Haram infiltration.
The Lt. Colonel and his men successfully held Konduga and stoutly provided the leadership that enabled his troops to lead from the ground while airforce jets provided air attack during the attack and killing of over 50 Boko Haram terrorists in Kawuri, resulting in the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition.
Reliving what happened when the officer led his men into Sambisa, an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "During the botched operation to locate and rescue the Chibok girls, several Battalions were programmed to enter the vast jungle and forest area from the North, East, West and South of Sambisa. The officer and his men entered from the Konduga axis and took on any enemy on sight, killing terrorists and destroying camp after camp, until they were called back".
"The officer and his soldiers were later to discover that the other battalions that were to infiltrate the forest from their sectors did not move in, obviously due to superior orders". The 'superior' who gave those orders is the one who should be court-martialled. Allowing one group to enter the forest then withdrawing the others is darn close to premeditated, attempted murder.
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