The Group of 12
On 15 September 2014, Nigerian military authorities sentenced 12 soldiers to death for mutiny. They are Jasper Braidolor, David Musa, Friday Onu, Yusuf Shuaibu, Emmanuel Igomu, Andrew Ngbede, Nurudeen Ahmed, Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Alao Samuel, Amadi Chukwudi, Alao Linus and Stephen Clement.

However, because Jeremiah Ichocho was found guilty of Absence Without Official Leave, AWOL, he was sentenced to two years behind bars.

The Brigadier-General C.C Okonkwo-led court discharged and acquitted five of the soldiers. Other members of the court martial are: Col T.S. Nurseman, Col. T.O. Olowomeye, Col. IG Lassa, Lt. Col J.K. Feboke, Lt. Col C.R. Nnebeife, Major I. Yusuf, Major T.A. Yakubu and Major A.E. Martins. Lt. Col. A.A. Audu and Lt. Col U Ukpe served as prosecutors.

•The 12 soldiers sentenced to death

The Court Martial said the soldiers were guilty of insubordinate behaviour, use of abusive language, and levelling false accusation against their superior officers. In fact, the Court Martial said the soldiers were guilty of attempting to kill their erstwhile General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Major General Ahmed Mohammed, by shooting at his official bullet-proof car at Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, Borno State.

That judgment was covered by the media.

The Group Of 59/60
Sixty soldiers were, on 15 October 2014, dragged before a Court Martial, sitting at the Army Headquarters Garrison, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja.

This involves mutiny accusation against Corporal Andrew Ogolekwu and 59 others. The opening day was also covered by the media, when Captain J.E. Nwosu, who led the prosecution, made an oral application to the body that since Lance Corporal Anthony Simeon was indisposed, he was amending the number of the soldiers charged to read 59. He relied on Section 153 of the Criminal Code, which makes it mandatory for the accused to be available to defend himself personally, and rule 82 that allows the striking out of Simeon’s name in that circumstance.

The Defence counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, who led Major Oluwanifemi Oyebanji (retd.), countered, arguing that the accused persons “were not standing trial as individuals but as a group”. However, the Brig Gen. M.S. Yusuf-led court martial granted the prayer of Nwosu.
After this matter of number––60 or 59––was settled, charges were read against the accused persons:

•The 59 soldiers being tried for mutiny

That the soldiers, on 4 August, at Muleyi Primary School, Borno State, conspired to commit mutiny against the authorities of the Nigerian Army 7 Division, Maiduguri. Moreover, the soldiers were accused of refusing an order from the commanding officer, III Special Forces Battalion, SFB, to go on an operation in Delwa in a bid to recapture Damboa in Borno State from Boko Haram.

Leader of the Prosecution team asked the commanding officer of the accused persons to step into the witness box. Thus, Lt. Col Timothy Chukwu Opurum said he instructed his men to move and put at bay the enemies along the paths to make it easy for the 251 and 254 Battalions to pass to Danboa.

To prove that the soldiers were guilty of mutiny, he said they were hesitant. In fact, he revealed that when he ordered the soldiers to board the five Hilux vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, others, as Opurum said, obeyed, while others pig-headedly did not. Thus, he went off with five officers and 29 soldiers but 68 stayed back.