Vanguard Editorial, Thursday October 9, 2025
The sentencing of Private Lukman Musa to death by hanging for the murder of a tricycle rider in Azare, Bauchi State, by a General Court Martial sitting in Jos, is a landmark judgement that reaffirms the Nigerian Army’s zero tolerance for indiscipline and criminality.
According to Major Aminu Mairuwa, Acting Deputy Director of Legal Services, 3 Division, the verdict reflects the Army’s resolve to uphold discipline, accountability, and the rule of law. “This judgement signifies the Nigerian Army’s resolve to ensure that no personnel operates outside the law or laid-down standard operating procedures.”
For too long, some soldiers have abused their uniforms, resorting to brutal force against civilians at the slightest provocation. The records are grim: civilians tortured, maimed, and even sometimes killed by those who are supposed to protect them.
Sometime in December 2017, a soldier was sentenced to death for killing five civilians rescued from Boko Haram. They were still under investigation at the time the soldier shot and killed them in Yamteke town, Borno State. Also, a lance corporal, Hassan Adamu, was accused of killing one Umar Alka, following a disagreement at the Monday Market in Maiduguri on December 23, 2015.
A car dealer was killed in Osun State in March 2022 after he was allegedly forced to eat his vomit while being tortured in the barracks, just as one Sanusi, who sold fruits by the roadside in Gusau, Zamfara State, was reportedly shot by a soldier after he demanded payment for his merchandise.
The list is inexhaustible, as one George Oyekan was also beaten to death by soldiers from the 174 Battalion Barracks, Ogijo-Lagos, following the man’s dispute with his landlady over rent. These incidents eroded public trust and created a dangerous gulf between citizens and the Armed Forces.
The Jos ruling is more than just punishment for one soldier. It is symbolic. It reassures Nigerians that the military is committed to cleansing its ranks and that uniforms do not shield wrongdoers from consequences. Justice in uniform strengthens confidence in the Armed Forces as an institution of discipline and accountability.
Other security agencies should take a cue from this example. The culture of covering up crimes in the name of esprit de corps has only bred impunity. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done swiftly, fairly, and without fear or favour. Authority carries responsibility, not licence. As we commend the Army’s resolve, we urge consistency.
Military and civilian oversight bodies must ensure disciplinary measures are institutionalised and free from political interference.
Only then will this momentum be sustained, public trust restored, and human life accorded the respect it deserves.
This ruling should stand as a deterrent: those who bear arms in defence of the nation must never forget that their mandate is protection, not victimisation.
