Nigerian soldiers: army denies secret trials, dismissals

The Nigerian Army has denied news stories that it conducted a nocturnal secret trial of 203 soldiers and had them dismissed for disobeying instructions in fighting Boko Haram insurgents.

The Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Olajide Laleye, in rebutting the claims said the army does not conduct any secret trials.

The clarifications came against the backdrop of a report on some online news platforms that the army secretly tried 203 soldiers overnight during the week and dismissed them for acts of mutiny.

The spokesman said that it was embarrassing to say that the army conducted night trials and dismissed over 203 soldiers.

“ As I speak to you, I don’t know where such secret trial was conducted and how the story of 203 soldiers came about, maybe the writer conducted the trial,” he said.

According to him, “the army conducts its trials in line with laid down procedures and the suspects choose their own lawyers to represent them.”

He said that “the army does not do any illegal trial and whatever it does is according to the law.”