The General and Special Court Martial set-up by Joint Military Task Force Operation Hadin Kai in North East Nigeria have recommended the imprisonment of 30 soldiers and officers for committing various offences. Four others were recommended for dismissal.
The Court Martial also recommended 25 personnel for reduction of rank and loss of seniority, 20 for loss of pay, 17 faced severe reprimand,. It also shows that 10 were discharged and acquitted, 14 of the cases involving the soldiers had their cases struck off while 107 were recommended for summary trial.
The Theater Commander of Operation Hadinkai Major General Christopher Musa disclosed this during the inauguration of a Special Court Martial to try 29 soldiers at the headquarters of the Theatre in Maimalari Barrack in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Musa who give the breakdown of the cases said a total of 227 soldiers and officers were presented before the military court.
“What we have done is that they were recommended and forwarded to Army Headquarters. The confirming authority for the soldiers rest on the Chief of Army Staff and while the Army Council is the body to ratify the officers before the implementation.”
“We have 30 imprisonment cases, 4 dismissal from the Armed forces, 25 reduction of rank and loss of seniority, 20 loss of pay, severe reprimand 17, discharge and acquitted 10, case struck off 14, recommended summary trial 107 and a total of 227.
“The whole essence is to ensure there is justice that is why it took us sometime for us to bring this out because we don’t want anyone to feel he has been shortchange for whatever reason,” he said.