A Nigerian court martial has sentenced 54 soldiers to death for refusing to fight Boko Haram Islamist militants.
The soldiers, who were found guilty of mutiny, were accused of refusing to help recapture three towns that had been seized by Boko Haram in August.
A lawyer for the soldiers said the 54 would face a firing squad. Five others were acquitted.
Troops have complained that they are not being given enough weapons and ammunition to fight Boko Haram.
The group has been waging an insurgency since 2009 and is seeking to create an Islamist state in north-eastern Nigeria.
More than 2,000 people have died in attacks blamed on Boko Haram so far this year and thousands more have been displaced by the fighting.
The court martial began in October and was conducted behind closed doors. Military officials were not available for comment afterwards.
Defence lawyer Femi Falana said the soldiers were all accused of "conspiring to commit mutiny against the authorities of 7 Division, Nigerian Army".
All the soldiers had denied the charges and the sentence is subject to approval by senior officers.
In a similar case in September, 12 soldiers were sentenced to death for mutiny and the attempted murder of a commanding officer in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.- BBC
OMG!!!!...Cant they find another punishment for them?
Stella God bless u! God prosper u! And cause his light to shine upon u! U will never know lack! Ahh stella ur name is written with a golden pen in heaven! Heaven has record of ur good deeds! Indeed ure a prove that there are angels sent on assignment to earth!
ReplyDeleteFor the soldiers,i tot others will learn from their former colleagues tha were sentenced too for ds crime?
Shuuu. Me here still dey wait alert, sent my account like 3 times. Looool
DeleteDis prayer is heavenly! Abeg how much stella pay o?
DeleteDeath is too much o! I have a friend of a friend whose wife went into coma after childbirth because her husband was sent to that mubi town 3 months ago wen d killing was much!
Don't they know that soldiers aare humans? Why did they not fight themselves? I just hope this penalty is reversed,its too outrageous!
NO! Please they shoulder tamper judgment with mercy.
DeleteAmnesty International and other relevant Humanitarian Activist is taking it up.
ReplyDeleteWe can't waist previous life's like this.
Morning
ReplyDeleteJust like that??? Na bad thing to serve one's country???
DeleteDeath by firing squad! More like killing them like armed robbers. Ade Bendel style. Well I feel its too harsh, but I believe they already knew the consequences. I don't even want to hear when they carry out this act biko.
ReplyDeleteAde bendel bawo?
DeleteHmmm what a bad news. Let them give them another punishment haba death penalty is too much
ReplyDeleteY na dis men have families if d way dey kill is d way God does no one will livre.....plz dey Shud look for oda punishment.....come to think of it dis soldiers signed to be loyal to d govt so dey wud have stood to dat vow dey made
ReplyDeleteStella i think you should publish the names of those who didn't send their account numbers and ask them to resend if thru don't then you van choose other people. It is possible that thru sent it but network didn't deliver. Or that it went to your spam box. The network here is crappy, you know that because some people even complain about not seeing their comments and you tell them you didn't delete it.
ReplyDeleteSo give them a chance again
I concur,I was one of the winners and I sent my account details like 7times but I haven't gotten any alert or confirmation
DeleteMy thought exactly,i sent mine. Twice and was replied that details has been taken. A second mail came asking for my blog id which i replied also but up till now, i ve not seen any alert.pls can we know the 13 people involved so we know our fate. Thank u
DeleteOnly God can help our country shall...truth is we'all knw watsup..
ReplyDeleteAnyhow shall Stellz I got my alert oooo choi! I want to start by thanking my mom n dad n my parents 4 birthing me,my husband n my spouse,my brodas n sistas n my sibblings,my friends,fans,family members n and everybody for dis wonderful xmas gift....I neva experetit...lol
Tnx stellz
So unfair.
ReplyDeleteThis is not right at all!...what about the politicians that are looting Nigeria resources? ....they should still face the same punishment too jor.
DeleteThis is outrageous, wicked punishment ever. Omg!!!
ReplyDelete.that's my uncle there,so he was among those that sentenced them. I ma ga o.
ReplyDeleteAnyways,they wont be killed. Na shaking they won shake them.
I hope.
Nigerian soldiers ndi ara..
ReplyDeleteGoodmorning Stella n all BVs in d house. Ahhhhhha SDK may d good Lord bless ur good heart n do hv a gr8 day ahead..
Its a pity. another punishment should be better naah!! Una good morning oo
ReplyDeleteMake them equip them Na than death penalty. Good morning Sdk/Bvs
ReplyDeleteThis is totally unnecessary. A long jail sentence should suffice. No need to kill people for nothing.
ReplyDeleteThis is extreme now. They shld look for another way. This people re humans. Running from BH and entering the hands of corrupt and bias government
ReplyDeleteMay God be with them
Since on saturday my comments av b missing ooo,,chai,,,Jesus i trust in U for a miracle,,last mintue God..
ReplyDeleteSince on saturday my comments av b missing ooo,,chai,,,Jesus i trust in U for a miracle,,last mintue God..
ReplyDeleteNot fair at all. They should biko av mercy.
ReplyDeleteWey all d moms 4 dis blog? My mini is breaking my sleep,she wakes up so much @ night just to nurse. She won't take anything that is not water or BM. She is 9months and am a 1st time mom who needs plenty sleep.
9 months? Dat babe harsh o! Maybe you should try keeping her awake during the day,and try to reduce breastmilk and add pap or cerelac this makes her heavier and thereby making her sleep.
DeleteEyaaaa...!!..try and let her be awake from 4pm, allow her to play really hard during the day, from 6pm feed her heavy dinner(semi solid food)
Deleteand give her a warm bubble bath with Johnson Baby bath with camomile and see the magic. *all the best dear*
Is there no other punishment for them????
ReplyDeleteThey are someone father, brother, son, uncle this is hard Abeg.
Haba!!!! This is way toooo much nau! These people have got families too, they have children who look up to them for one need or the other.
ReplyDelete.I hope they would find an alternative punishment mbok.
OMG. ..This is too extreme now. .shouldn't they have been incarcerated and discharged of their duties or something. Tho I heard mutiny is one of the biggest offence in the military. .
ReplyDeleteThe Fed.govt shld please spare their lives n find give them another chance with equiped ammunition
ReplyDeleteOga Jona do something!
ReplyDeleteThey can't just die like dat.
OMG!! Another Set?
ReplyDeleteMisplaced Priorities. They should continue killing Soldiers, by the time there's nobody left to fight they will force Civilians to pick up arms.
What I don't understand is why these Soldiers didn't just Quit since they know their refusal will end in death.
I pity dem....girls don't marry soldiers oooo..c wahala.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I don't support death penalty
ReplyDeleteI don't support insubordination
Besides military rules and law they signed is CLEAR!
"Obey the Last Order"
So if they go contrary then they should also be allow to face the music
That will serve as a warning to other soldiers
We can't afford to have lilly livered men as soldiers
Also from a mother's pespective
I feel sorry and sad
I wish they can commune the sentences to prison terms
Woo! No one is good o jare!
But atlease they will be alive
Family and friends will get to visit them and who knows they even might get pardoned someday
Firing Squad!!!!
Heyy!!!!!
Ikunle abiyamo oooh!
Let God's will be done
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePls who ever that is in charge should pls find another punishment for these men biko. Hian!
ReplyDeleteFiring squad ke, are they thieves. Well after killing the leftover of people's husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and children that BH did not kill. The military should take up full responsibility of their wifes and children... Mtchewww!
ReplyDeleteWives* LWKMD @wifes.
DeleteStella help me ask them if the only penalty they have is Death? Dis ppl are heartless! My brother tried to enter NDA 3 times but was not given admission. I thank God he was not picked, am sure not it won't be so hard to get admission as they are looking for meats to give boko, na God go punish all of them
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, which way Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteGood morning SDK family... Our Civil rights organizations here in Nigeria should rise up to the challenge.
ReplyDeleteKai dis is 2 hash 4 dem na
ReplyDeleteGood morning SDK family. Our civil rights organisations should rise up to battle this.... cruel
ReplyDeleteAha! Lord have mercy
ReplyDeleteOMG!
ReplyDeletePinkyberry,are you the one i know? The ph Pinky?
DeleteSo they are really gonna kill them???o ma ga oooo
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity. I hate when you are working and your employers refuse to provide the necessary tools and expect you to do magic.
ReplyDeleteI pray their their sentence be converted to life imprisonment.
But then, if they don't give them d death sentence, more soldiers will start refusing to fight saying they will be better off in prison than being killed by BH.
Hmmmmmn.
Death Penalty kwa?
ReplyDelete*Eyes wide open in shock*
Very corrupt government...
ReplyDeleteLet's vote Jonathan out!
He's a shameless alcoholic that messed up our system.
His reward awaits him when BUGARI takes over
They all know the dictator will send them to jail
haba!!dats harsh na....so because they refused 2 fight they should be killed!na wa
ReplyDeleteStupid judgement.these people passing judgement should go and kill BH too na.why waste the bullets on these soldiers?mtcheew
ReplyDeleteHow many bad Gen. V they killed.... Wen we need dey to fight boko boys,dey r busy killin dem. Ds country tire me.
ReplyDelete~@iamjbankz SA to President Jonathan 2015~
Jesus
ReplyDeleteNa so they go jst kill person papa oo
May God have mercy on them.
This is so sad. These people have families, loved ones, friends... just like you and I. Lets always remember to pray for them. Its not easy fighting Boko haram.
ReplyDeleteWhy should they even be punished for refusing to fight cos they lacked weapons?were they supposed to invent ammunition to confront the well armed terrorists?the billions of naira supposed to have purchased arms,neither d money nor the arms is anywhere to be found.so the army generals,d GEJ administration caucus in charge of remitting that money and all individuals dat have embezzled it in one way or the other are the ones to be sentenced to death by firing!
ReplyDelete#wicked vampires in govt
That is really cruel... Poor soldiers..
ReplyDeleteEwooooo!!! I no join army again!
ReplyDeleteBoko that has infiltrated the army, mtshwww. So sad
ReplyDeletewhy is Nigerian leaders complicating issues. This is a conspiracy by the high generals and the powers that be in this country. they know that what those soldiers are saying is true and they see the soldiers as obstacles to their looting of all the money meant for ammunitions and well being of the young soldiers.this is inhumanity to man.when we have lost a lot of soldiers and these beasts want to kill the ones alive; thereby demoralising other soldiers. this is the peak of it.pls Stella post this post for a long time; let's see if our voices will help save this unfortunate soldiers.
ReplyDeleteNetwork terrible. This administration may not allow this judgement stand. Election is around the corner.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! Lord have mercy. Military and their ways *sighs*
ReplyDeleteFor what kwanu? Haba!
ReplyDeleteSad. But rules are rules.
ReplyDeleteEither way, it is still a death sentence. Going ill equiped to take on BH terrorists, is nothing short of a suicide mission. Refusing to committ suicide equates to being sentenced to death for Mutiny.
ReplyDeleteWe Nigerians are very callous by nature, this in reference to people critising these soldiers. if they were your husbands, brothers, fathers, uncles, boy friends, fiancees, nephews or cousins would you encourage them to go into combat with BH with outdated and faulty weapons, that is if they had any in the first place.
Rather than using this opportunity to raise our voices against the plight of these men some are responding with comments that are totally irrelevant to the matter at hand, arrant nonsense.
Please to post comments critising these men is a true reflection of the poster's inhumanity.
Abigail crayfish why do you want to kill me this early morning with this your ugbe (spear)? Lawd! what kinda English was that? 'my spouse and husband, my brother and sister and my siblings" Obara Jesu! nne ije kwa school (are you educated at all). Jeez i marvel at the kinda graduates our universities produce these days. Chukwu aju (God forbid).
ReplyDeleteForgive her. It's SDKALERTFEVER that caused that grandiloquence.
DeleteLet's all chillax, they won't be killed, but i'm sure they will later be relieve of their jobs.
ReplyDeleteAfter some people would open their mouth to say soldiers are not doing anything. If u think its easy go against the insurgents urself.
ReplyDeleteNo Stella. They can't and wouldn't find another punishment. It's called disciple. You don't go against ur commanding officer. Never! Didn't they read that in the terms and agreement? God bless their souls. That's all we can say.
ReplyDeleteThe ones receiving nothing are dying while the ones diverting all the money to their pocket are in air conditioned offices enjoying life and signing death sentences.
ReplyDeleteharsh judgement, there is always a way out.
ReplyDeleteThat is serious.
ReplyDeleteOMG killing the same people that protect us?
ReplyDeleteOMG killing the same people that protect us?
ReplyDeleteSuch a harsh verdict.they should kindly temper justice with mercy. Na beg we dey beg
ReplyDelete