Mutiny : New date for trial of 60 soldiers

Mutiny : New date for trial of 60 soldiers

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 3:10 pm


The Nigerian Army authorities on Tuesday postponed till Thursday the General Court Martial of about 60 soldiers charged with alleged mutiny.

The trial was to have been held at the Mogadishu Cantonment. The venue was locked as at 10.45 a.m.

The postponement of the trial was confirmed to newsmen on Tuesday by a military source, who did not want to be named.

•The soldiers condemned to die in a similar trial

•The soldiers condemned to die in a similar trial

However, when contacted, the spokesman of the Garrison, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, claimed ignorance of the court martial but promised to inform journalists, whenever a date was fixed for the trial.

The source also said lawyers representing the accused soldiers met with legal officers of the court martial on Tuesday morning and agreed to shift trial till Thursday because of the independence holiday on Wednesday.

One of the lawyers appearing for the soldiers, who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the trial was postponed till Thursday.

“When I got here (trial venue) this morning, I was told that the court martial has been postponed till Thursday because of the independence anniversary coming up tomorrow – Wednesday,’’ he said.

The soldiers who are standing trial were alleged to have committed mutiny by “refusing to join troops for an operation’’ in Maiduguri on August 4.


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