Army jails 16 soldiers over Chibok girls’ abduction

Army jails 16 soldiers over Chibok girls’ abduction

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The Nigerian Army has sentenced three officers and 13 other soldiers
to two years’ imprisonment each over the April 14, 2014 abduction of
over 200 schoolchildren from their hostel in Chibok, Borno State, by
Boko Haram insurgents.

The soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, a Captain and a Second
lieutenant, were arraigned before a General Military Court Martial at
the Maxwell Khobe Military Cantonment, Rukuba in Jos, Plateau State,
in October 2014.

The officers are Col. A. O. Ojo, Capt. O. O. Ogunrinde, and 2nd
Lieutenant V.I. Godknows.

Although the trial started at the headquarters of the 3rd Armoured
Division of the Army in Jos, the court was moved to Kaduna where the
judgment was delivered on Tuesday.

The GCM panel convened by the General Officer Commanding I
Division, Kaduna, Maj.Gen. K. C. Osuji, comprised Brig. Gen. Ogunlade
(President); Col. J. O. Sokoya, Col. M. Kadiri, Col. M. W. Abubakar,
Col. A. A. Bamgbose, Col. A. Garba and Col E.M . Albara
Our correspondent learnt on Tuesday that the panel concluded that
the prosecution was able to prove the case against the soldiers.

But the Defence counsel to Col. Ojo, Mr. Shuaibu Isah, told our
correspondent on the telephone that the judgment was a far cry from
the evidence presented before the court.

Isah said he would appeal against the judgment to the confirming
authority, which is the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
He said, “We are not satisfied with the judgment of the court. We
intend to file an appeal against this verdict before the confirming
authorities…”

A source at the court said that Ojo was convicted on two counts of
failing to reinforce Chibok when it came under Boko Haram attack on
April 14 and for allegedly releasing information without verification to
the Army authorities.

He said the “unverified information” caused the Defence
Headquarters to issue a ‘false’ statement on the release of the
abducted girls.

The source added that Ojo, who was said to have resumed duty the
day before the attack, had responded to the charge of failing to
reinforce Chibok by explaining that he got the information on the
Chibok attack at his location in Biu by 1a.m.

The Lt. Col. was also said to have explained that he had other
operational issues such as his inability to notify the nearby military
formation in Damboa.

On the charge that he gave unverified information to the Army
authorities, the officer said he never gave any figure on the “rescued
or abducted girls.”

It was gathered that the lawyers to Godknows told the court martial
that their client, who was charged with cowardly behaviour, was at the
Chibok location with 13 soldiers armed with AK 47 but with limited
rounds of ammunition to confront over 200 heavily armed Boko Haram
fighters.

Another source said that Godknows left four men to defend the
camp while he took nine others to confront the insurgents before
pulling back due to their high number and overwhelming fire power.

The charges against the soldiers which centred on failure to perform
military duty carry a maximum of two years imprisonment.

– Punch.