Chibok Girls: Grumbling in military over court martial of Lt Col, 37 soldiers

Soldiers accused of mutiny tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Abuja on October 2, 2014. Nearly 100 soldiers tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s far northeast appeared at a military court martial on Thursday, facing a range of charges including mutiny. The hearing comes just weeks after a tribunal sentenced 12 soldiers to death following their conviction for shooting at their commanding officer in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in May. AFP PHOTO
INSET President of the Court Martial, Brigadier General. Musa Sain Yusuf

There is outrage and misgivings among a section of the military, over the decision of the General Court Martial convened by the Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja, Brigadier General BT Ndiomu, to try a Lieutenant Colonel (names with-held) and 37 soldiers who were under his command for mutiny even after it emerged that the officer single handily, braved the odds and led troops to storm Sambisa forests in search of the abducted over 200 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok.

Recall that the General Court Martial to be presided over by Brigadier General Musa Yusuf will on 15th October, commence the arraignment of 97 soldiers including four Lieutenant Colonels, one Major and four Captains on charges related to Mutiny, Assault; Absence without leave (AWOL); House breaking, Conduct prejudicial to good orders, and Service discipline as well as Offences relating to Service property among others.Vanguard gathered that several officers including some retired Generals and soldiers who knew about the exploits of the Lieutenant Colonel and his daring foray into Sambisa forest where he personally led from the frontline and coordinated the attack on and destruction of Boko Haram Camps before retreating were shocked that such an officer could be treated with a court martial arraignment.

According to sources, the officer as Commander of the Battalion in Konduga, led Special Forces of the Nigerian Army to stop daring attacks from Boko Haram terrorists into Bama several times before the massive attack that led to its fall when a Brigadier General who was in charge at 21 Brigade could not with stand Boko Haram infiltration.

The Lt. Colonel and his men successfully held Konduga and stoutly provided the leadership that enabled his troops to lead from the ground while airforce jets provided air attack during the attack and killing of over 50 Boko Haram terrorists in Kawuri, resulting in the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition.

Relieving what happened when the officer led his men into Sambisa, an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “During the botched operation to locate and rescue the Chibok girls, several Battalions were programmed to enter the vast jungle and forest area from the North, East, West and South of Sambisa. The officer and his men entered from the Konduga axis and took on any enemy on sight, killing terrorists and destroying camp after camp, until they were called back”.

“The officer and his soldiers were later to discover that the other battalions that were to infiltrate the forest from their sectors did not move in, obviously due to superior orders”

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3:40 pm