IF Oliver Okwara had joined the
Nigerian Army now, many would have
attributed it to the biting
unemployment in the country.
But his decision to join the military in
1989-a period when securing
employment was not as difficult as it is
now, met with stiff resistance from his
family. Whatever informed their fears about
Okwara's voyage in the military was
best known to them, but conventional
wisdom suggests that the hazards
associated with the institution might
have prompted their objections.
Against the wishes of his people,
Okwara ran away to Zaria for selection.
It was on that note that his military
career started in the medical corps.
Rising to the rank of Sergeant for a
non- commissioned officer, was no doubt a milestone.
After serving for 20 years in what
could be described as a meritorious
career, Okwara was drafted to be part
of the United Nations,UN,
peacekeeping in Liberia in 2007. That
was two years after his elevation to the rank of a Sergeant.
For both commissioned and non-
commissioned officers, being selected
for a peacekeeping job, is usually
fascinating, in view of the financial
reward that comes with it. So, Okwara
was upbeat about being part of the troops.
While in Liberia, Okwara and others
had hoped to use their entitlements to
better their lives. Unfortunately, their
expectations of better life upon their
return, were dashed when the Military
High Command failed to pay their entitlements. That marked the
beginning of what could rank as the
greatest challenge in his life.
The UN had reportedly earmarked $
1,228 a month for each soldier. The
army allegedly claimed to be saving
the allowances for Okwara and his
colleagues. But that was not to be as
they were not paid upon their return.
They were told to come to Akure in
June to collect the money but when
they went, they did not get the money.
In September, they were again asked
to come back. That was the third time
they were being invited to Akure for money which the UN had allegedly
paid for their services.
After spending about two weeks
without results, the soldiers protested
and were arrested for mutiny.
Four officers, Col. A. Awotoye
(Commanding Officer of 72 Army
Battalion, Makurdi), Lt. Col. Paul Baba
(Director of Army Finance), Major
Abubakar Shonva (Deputy Director of
Army Finance) and Major C. Njoku, were identified as the ring leaders in
the alleged fraud. Col. Awotoye was
said to have collected the money
despite the fact that soldiers from his
Command had earlier ended their tour
of duty and collected their allowances.
The military tribunal found Awotoye
and the three others guilty, while
Okwara and others court-martialled
were found guilty and jailed for life.
Though reprieve finally came the way
of Okwara and 26 othersattached to
the 323 Artillery Regiment, Owena
Barracks, Akure, Ondo, as their prison
sentences were commuted to
discharge from the military service, there was nothing to show for the two
decades he spent in the army.
Four years after, Nigeria is faced with a
near similar issue, this time it was the
sentencing of 12 soldiers to death for
mutiny. The soldiers were charged with a six-
count of criminal conspiracy to commit
mutiny, disobeying lawful orders and
various acts said to be inimical to the
military service.
The nine-member all military Court
Martial, also found the soldiers guilty
of insubordinate behaviour, use of
abusive language, levelling false
accusation against their superior
officers, among others. They were similarly 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. The car was bullet proof.
The incident took place at the
Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri in the
course of the ongoing counter-
insurgency campaign. The court also
found them guilty of preventing the
movement of some of their injured colleagues to hospital and obstructing
evacuation of their dead ones who
were killed in ambush on their way
from an operation in Chibok, Borno
State. Those to die are Cpl. Jasper
Braidolor, David Musa, Friday Onu, Yusuf Shuaibu, Emmanuel Igomu,
Andrew Ngbede, Nurudeen Ahmed,
Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Alao Samuel,
Amadi Chukwudi, Alan Linus and
Stephen Clement. Jeremiah Ichocho,
who was found guilty of Absence Without Official Leave, AWOL, was
sentenced to two years without
labour.
The soldiers were tried under section
52(1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap
A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,
2004.
The judgment, according to Vanguard
Features VF checks, has been
generating mixed reactions across
sections of the country. Though the offence for which the
soldiers were convicted cannot be
condoned by the armed forces
because it strikes at the foundation of
discipline in the military, there are
questions as to whether the soldiers actually deserved the judgements.
This sentiment was prompted by the
reasons given by the soldiers for their
action. Consider this: It only took a
media chat for President Goodluck
Jonathan to reveal that part of the
reasons why the war against Boko Haram was not being won, was
because the army had been
unequipped in the past 20 years.
It was under this condition that the
convicted soldiers fought insurgency
in Borno State as members of the Joint
Task Force,JTF, with the insurgents
having the upper hand most times.
Reportedly unhappy about their
conditions, which particularly
bordered on welfare and absence of
sophisticated weapons, they opened
fire on their commander, Major General
Ahmadu Mohammed, in May.
That incident however established that
the morale within the soldiers at that
time, was at an all-time low.
A Professor of Sociology in one of the
leading private universities in Nigeria,
Prof Marthins Tabansi, believes the
military authorities should be held
responsible for such acts by the non-
commissioned soldiers.
He told VF that the issues of welfare
and professionalism in the army had
been treated as non-issues by
successive administrations, leading to
the revolt by the rank and file.
''We expected that the retirement of
soldiers who held political positions
during the military era, would usher in
professionalism and much investment
in the army. Sadly we have not seen
that. Those saddled with the mandate to do that either misappropriate funds
or are left with no funds to prosecute
their statutorily responsibility,'' he
noted.
''With latest equipment to prosecute
the war and better motivation, I doubt
if any soldier will turn against his own
commander,'' he submitted.
Asked if his argument meant a
justification for what the soldiers did,
Tabansi said: ''Absolutely No!"
Temper justice with mercy: Consequently, he explained thus:
''There is no institution that tolerates
indiscipline. The manner the young
men channelled their grievances is
condemnable. That is why the
grounds upon which they were convicted cannot be said to be out of
context. We are talking about military
law, which is independent given the
peculiarity of the army as an
institution. Having said that, it is my
hope that the authorities temper justice with mercy.''
Spokesperson for Northern Delegates
Forum at the just concluded National
Conference, Mr. Anthony Sani, also
frowned at engaging in mutiny by
soldiers, but is particularly concerned
about the conditions that provoked the action.
''While it is true and correct that
soldiers should not engage in mutiny
for obvious reasons,it is equally true
that the government itself had gone
public with the reasons for its request
to take $1b loan for the purpose of improving the quality of training and
equipping the military so they can
confront the insurgency effectively,''
he submitted.
''That means the soldiers have known
that they are not trained and equipped
for the tasks assigned to them. Where
that is the case,the military and the
government should temper justice
with mercy by committing the hard conviction to a lesser one," he said.
National Convener of Democratic
Rights and Accountability, Comrade
Yemie Kufeji frowned at what he
described as the indifferent attitude of
the Senate on the issue. ''It makes no
meaning that these young men should die for demanding for their rights. Yes,
we are not in support of mutiny but do
they truly deserve to die considering
the circumstances that made them
prey in the hands of Boko Haram
insurgents?" he asked.
For him: ''The support of the Senate,
shows that our lawmakers are not in
touch with global trends on death
penalty. A country that flaunts
democratic credentials even though
such credentials are questionable, should not think about executing the
soldiers.''
Though the country had not engaged
in capital punishment since the military
era, findings showed that death
penalty is still in the statute books of
Nigeria.
The pleas for mercy notwithstanding,
the support for the verdict by the
Senate, came as a surprise to many in
an era when there is a global outcry
against capital punishment.
The Senate reportedly said it would
not plead with the Army to spare the
lives of 12 soldiers recently sentenced
to death for mutiny.
Moratorium on executions: 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.
Sekibo said the Senate was not under
pressure to intervene to save the lives
of the soldiers because the judgement
convicting them was in the best
interest of the Nigerian military.
Though the country has not engaged
in capital punishment since the military
era, findings showed that death
penalty is still in the statute books of
Nigeria.
However, there are calls by groups like
the Amnesty International on the
Nigerian government to abolish death
penalty, immediately impose a
moratorium on executions and
commute all death sentences under Nigerian criminal law and Sharia penal
laws.
It also wants the country to ratify
international human rights
instruments, including the two
Optional Protocols to the ICCPR, and
the Protocol to the African Charter on
Human and Peoples Rights and promote international standards of fair
trial and due process.
(Vanguard)
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