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| Nigerian Army |
The Court Martial trying Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti,
Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, who was blamed for the loss of
Baga in January has relocated from Lagos to Abuja.
The brigadier general, his chief of
staff, Lieutenant Colonel GA Suru, and some other senior officers were arrested
for failing to repel terrorists attack on the headquarters of the MNJTF.
The Nigerian Army High Command has
ordered 30 of its top officers to proceed to the Army Headquarters Garrison in
Abuja in order to face a judicial panel to beat a deadline of May 29.
According to an internal army memo
dated March 11, 2015 the officers are to be court-martialed for various
offences.
Leadership newspaper reports:
The memo listed 30 senior officers
who were instructed to depart their current posting and head for the Army
Headquarters garrison for “jurisdiction”.
Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and 30
other officers under him, was moved to Abuja from Lagos for trial in order to
meet the deadline set by the Army High Command to conclude all trials on or
before May 29, 2015.
It will be recalled that Brigadier
General Kuti, was in charge of Baga in Borno State, when the Boko Haram
terrorists struck and overran the headquarters last December killing over
hundred people including soldiers, families and carting away a cache of arms.
The President of the Court Martial
which hitherto sat in Lagos, Major General S.D. Aliyu where Brig-General Kuti
and others were initially arraigned in February 2015, is also President of
another Court Martial trying Brigadier General Komolafe and 23 other senior
officers.
Military authorities having realized
that both trials will be too demanding on the senior officer and one military
court, decided to set up another court martial to try Brigadier General Ransome
Kuti and others in Abuja.
On his part, Brigadier General
Komolafe was the Brigade Commander in Bama, when Boko Haram terrorists took
over the Brigade and the town, killing and maiming so many people.
The inability of the Court Martial
in Lagos to fast-track the court process was the issue of delay tactics
employed by lawyers of the accused.
Most of the senior officers being
tried were said to have hired the services of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN)
to defend them and their insistence that every substance relating to each case
must be trashed out has made it cumbersome.
The specific offences for which each
of the officers is to be tried was not stated but military insiders say it has
to do with their conduct in the fight against the Boko Haram extremist group.
Among those listed in the document is Enitan Ransome-Kuti, a Brigadier General
and commander of the Multi National Only one officer – a Lieutenant Colonel CA
Ekeator, out of the 31 senior officers was posted from court martial at the AHQ
garrison to Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, where he is Director
of Studies. The posting was signed by the releasing officer, Military
Secretary, II Abba, a Major General, reports Premium Times. The 30 senior
officers include:
- Brigadier General EA Ransome-Kuti, from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Colonel OC Ajunwa from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel UG Yusuf from 202 Battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel A Haruna from 134 Battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel MO Eteng from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel MY Lawal from HQ CAR to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel JO Ememe from 21 SERV to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel HM Bukar from HQ 7 Division to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant Colonel GA Suru from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Major AA Malgwi from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Major C Amah from OTD to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Major N Akpagher from 243 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain EE Ayegba from 101 DES to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain BT Bamisaiye from 525 SR to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain CU Okereke from AHQ DO G to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain EO Ogundile from STF (OP Safe Haven) to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain F Abajah from 134 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain UJ Atumeyi from 241 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain RG Mohammed from NASI to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain DY Chiwar from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain P Dangnap from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain JA Maku from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain EU Omatighene from S1 list (UNAMID) to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Captain BE Alfred from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant AA Tijjani from 541 BS to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant GM Gomo from MNJTF to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant AV Chijioke from 174 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Second Lieutenant IS Mekwunye from 149 battalion to AHQ garrison for jurisdiction
- Lieutenant AJS Gulani (posting amended to read AHQ garrison for jurisdiction)
- Major ES Okore (posting amended to read AHQ garrison for jurisdiction.
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