20.10.2014
There are sore thumbs, sticking out in the tragic events befalling the giant of Africa, Nigeria. Each passing day now reveals more reasons to be sober. Missing fund! Missing Girls! Missing aircraft! The nation never had it so rough, so hard, so painful, waging manmade and natural woes simultaneously. Death has become the cheapest item on life’s shelf. Death now walks to our doors without confrontation, and with impunity grips us with cold hands, leave us shivering and goes back like a giant refreshed. What a sorrow!
Nigeria has become a nation where every kind of death is possible. All kinds of deaths stare Nigerians in the face. If Nigerians are not dying by the deadly bombardment of Boko Haram and gruesome onslaught of ritual killers, they are in mortal dread of Ebola virus disease; death happens every now and then on the death traps called roads and airlines; robbers and all kinds of killers are moving around with anointing of leaders who ought to protect us as if Nigeria is their personal estate. There is also death by hunger and with frightened unemployment index there is death by stampede at recruitment grounds.
That is not all! People have also known that God’s house is not safe. Death attends the gathering of those seeking from heaven what true believers know is not there. With the collapse of T. B Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations it looks so ironic that prophets who predict air mishaps in far away Malaysia, predict outcomes of European football league matches could not foresee danger under their roof until the disaster descended.
The death wants to make its stay permanent. Each monster now wants to a republic within our federated republic. Boko Haram is making incursion from Sambisa forest to Gwoza, Mubi, Kondoga, etc. Witches are resisting efforts to drive them out of the thick forests of Uyo and Calabar. Ritualists are relocating from bridges to safe forests of Oyo. What a country!
Buy any Nigerians daily, tune on your radio or watch the graphic relays on our TV screens and you are bound to realize that we are in no honeymoon period. The country is facing her most difficult time in history.
At a period like this every life matters more because every death of a Nigerian diminishes our humanity. Effort must be to save and not to destroy, acquit rather than condemned more so when the condemned are actually innocent.
Unfortunately, if the September 16, 2014, Abuja court martial ruling is anything to go by, 12 Nigeria soldiers will be facing death by firing squad after being found guilty of mutiny. The condemned soldiers are Cpl. Jasper Braidolor, Cpl David Musa, Lance Cpl. Friday Onun, lance Cpl. Yusuf Shuaibu, Lance Cpl. Igomu Emmanuel and Pte. Andrew Ngbede, Pte. Nurudeen Ahmed, Pte. Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Pet. Alao Samuel, Pte. Amadi Chukwudi, Pte. Allan Linus and Lance Cpl. Stephen Clement. Eighteen soldiers were arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on inciting mutiny against GOC, 7 Division, Maimalari barracks in Maiduguri, Major Gen Ahmed Mohammed, on May 14.
The story of an alleged mutiny is one of the fallouts of Chibok abduction. The soldiers had in May revolted, opening fire at a car carrying the General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 7 division in Maiduguri, Bornu State. Major Gen. Mohammed was targeted by the soldiers who blamed him for the deaths of their colleagues. The attack in Maimalari cantonment humiliated Nigerian military at a time the force came under international spotlight over the abduction of nearly 300 school girls in Chibok by the extremists Boko Haram sect. The rebellious soldiers were infuriated over the ambush and killing of their colleagues by Boko Haram- an attack soldiers blamed their superiors for.
The ambush came after a special operation in kalabalge L. G. A. where locals had earlier killed about 150 insurgents and arrested 10 others as community’s vigilance against invading extremists. After the operation, during which some military equipment were recovered from the insurgents, the soldiers, who arrived the operation location at night were asked to return to Maiduguri. The soldiers reportedly pleaded to be allowed to return to Maiduguri the next morning as the night trip would be too risky. Their request was allegedly turned down by the top ranks at the headquarters of the 7 Division who would not be pleased if they wouldn’t go back to Maiduguri that night.
Consequently, the troop had to drive to Maiduguri at night. But halfway through their journey, they ran into Boko Haram ambush and 12 of them got killed while others escape with degree of injuries. The military later claimed only four died in the ambush before it later increased the figure to six. The survivors in what seemed a vengeance mission launched an attack on their commander, Mr. Mohammed when they eventually arrived at Maiduguri.
In its version of the attack, the military claimed the soldiers did not shoot at their commander but merely fired into the air. But in a charge sheet signed by Mr. Ndiomu, the army said soldiers’ bullet only missed General Mohammed by a hair’s breath, as at least one bullet struck the rear right door of his Sports Utility Vehicle, where the general sat.
After the attack, the Nigerian Army arrested the soldiers and instituted a military board of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their conduct. Mr Mohammed was immediately redeployed to another command which the military did not reveal.
Points to consider! Mutiny is condemnable as it does not follow the logic of military discipline and should be encouraged in any way. But act without circumstance and intention cannot establish the morality of an act. The situation in the military has gone so bad and the suspicion in the army running deepest with stories of sabotage surrounding war against terror. The army could no longer trust soldiers from the north and the Muslims. Consider the names of the condemned- David, Jasper, Emmanuel, Amadi, Azubike, Ifeanyi, Samuel, etc. what does that tell you? They are either Southerners or Christians. Isn’t there a sense in the soldiers’ complaint that they were sent out to go and die?
Only armchair soldiers will insist on military procedure to label the actions of the now condemned soldiers a ‘mutiny’. Their actions were prompted by antecedent not dignifying of the military vocation. Following the strict military discipline, no soldier more so a high ranking one has right to sabotage neither the nation nor comrades as evidence betrays conspiracy of the rank and file within the military in Division 7.
No doubt, confirming the death sentence on these men therefore will be a perversion of justice, condemning the wounded and justifying the wicked. Were the soldiers sent on death mission that they were refused sleeping over only to be ambushed and some of them killed? It is now like saying since you refused to succumb to our ambush, we will subject you to firing squad.
This is no time to fire soldiers we need in our efforts to contain acts of terror as this will kill the morale of other soldiers still in the field more so when the circumstances that triggered off the alleged mutiny have not changed. Soldiers still complain of poor pay, ill-equipment and above all sabotage of senior ranking military men who are sympathetic to Boko Haram cause.
That is why Nigerians should prevail on the federal government to reverse the judgment passed against the soldiers. There are other punishments for offenses under the Armed Forces Act: imprisonment, dismissal with ignominy from the Armed forces, a fine of sum not exceeding the equivalent of three months’ pay among others. If it is true that Gen Mohammed was forced to compulsory retirement, we have to bear in mind that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Unless we act fast, confirmation of this death sentence will mean harvesting of another apostolic widows in Nigeria. Too sad!
