What he said was not new at all! Yet, for stating the obvious, the Army High Command has ordered the demotion (for three years) of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, former Theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole.
-Watch the video here
That was the verdict handed down by an army court martial on Monday, 30 November, 2020. Reason: Adeniyi was “found guilty of violating military social media guidelines”
According to a report by The Punch, Adeniyi was said to have “pleaded guilty to three-count of unlawful use of social media”. He complained in a video about poor intelligence and inadequate military equipment, even as the Army confronts insurgents on daily basis.
How did Adeniyi’s batman, Private Tokunbo Obanla, who was also found guilty and sentenced to 28 days in jail with hard labour, get involved? Whikle Adeniyi swore by all he believed in that he did not leak the video, he claimed that his phone was held by his aide. Obanla said he posted the video by mistake.
The verdicts are, however, subject to review by the Army Council.
In September 2014, a court-martial in Abuja, presided over by Brig.-Gen. C.C. Okonkwo, sentenced 12 soldiers to death by firing squad for mutiny. They were accused of firing at the General Officer Commanding (GOC) because of lack of equipment and other motivations. The affected soldiers are Cpl. Jasper Braidolor, Cpl. David Musa, Lance Cpl. Friday Onun, Lance Cpl. Yusuf Shuaibu, Lance Cpl. Igomu Emmanuel and Pte. Andrew Ngbede, Pte. Nurudeen Ahmed, Pte. Ifeanyi Alukhagbe, Pte. Alao Samuel, Pte. Amadi Chukwudi, Pte. Allan Linus and Lance Cpl. Stephen Clement.
Also in 2008, 27 soldiers of 15th Nigerian Battalion, who served in United Nations Mission in Liberia were court martialed and jailed in Akure. Their offence: They protested against shortfall in their allowances.
The Army Council, however, later pardoned them.