Court martial sentences soldier to death by hanging, another to 10 years in jail

A General Court Martial (GCM) sitting at the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu has sentenced a soldier, Private Adamu Mohammed, to death by hanging and another, Private Abubakar Yusuf, to 10 years imprisonment.

The sentences were handed down after due consideration for the offences of murder and robbery for which the soldiers stood trial.

Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, Acting Deputy Director 82 Division Army Public Relations, stated in a statement yesterday that the GCM, composed of 11 members.

They were inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, on Feb. 18, to try erring personnel within the Division for various offences, which could not be disposed of summarily.

The President of the GCM, Brig. Gen. Sadisu Buhari, while delivering the judgment on the first accused, Private Adamu Mohammed, stated that he was found guilty of the offence of the murder of his girlfriend, miss Hauwa Ali, an offence punishable under Section 106 (a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004.

He said the judgement, which was unanimous, was arrived at after careful review of the facts before the GCM, the career and service record of the soldier, and the compassionate plea for mitigation presented by the accused and his counsel.

However, the President of the GCM noted, that in the interest of societal decorum and justice for the deceased, the law had to be applied to its fullest.

Relatedly, the General Court Martial equally sentenced another soldier, Private Abubakar Yusuf, to 10 years imprisonment for robbery at a mall within Enugu.

The President of the GCM stated that the panel found Private Yusuf guilty of robbery, punishable under Section 107(1)(b) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004.

Although the court attentively considered the plea in mitigation presented by the accused and his counsel for leniency, the law was applied to uphold societal decorum and protect the reputation of the Army.