Court martial jails soldier 7 years for killing civilian

A special court martial sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has convicted a soldier to seven years in prison for killing a civilian in December 2015.

The soldier, Hassan Adamu, a private of the Nigerian Army deployed to support Operations Lafiya Dole in Borno State, was also stripped of his rank and dismissed before he was incarcerated.

The tribunal, in its ruling, said it found out that the soldier falsely alleged that the man who he killed wanted to disarm him while on duty.

The soldier had shot and killed one Umar Alka at the Maiduguri Monday Market on December 23, 2015.

Witnesses who testified in the proceedings told the court that the deceased was sighted chanting “Allahu Akbar” while he approached the Hilux vehicle of the convict.

“It was then that the soldier came out of the vehicle and started assaulting the late Alkali, before shooting the deceased in his heart at a close range, leading to his instant death,” the witnesses said.

Testifying, Father of the deceased, Abubakar Abacha, a resident of Bulabulin area of Maiduguri metropolis, told the tribunal that he received a call on that fateful day that a soldier  had killed his son.

He added that on arriving at the scene, he found the corpse of his son, with a deep hole through his chest where he was shot.

Delivering judgment, president of the tribunal, Brigadier-General Olusegun Adeniyu, averred that based on the rule of engagement, soldiers could only apply maximum force when the minimum force had failed.

Brigadier-General Adeniyi found Adamu found guilty of the offence and as a result dismissed from the Nigerian Army.

“He will be incarcerated for seven years, subject to confirmation by the military authorities and this is in accordance with the Nigerian Armed Forces Act and Criminal Justice system,” he ruled.

Another soldier, Chigozie Egbe, was also sentenced to 14 months imprisonment based on the evidences established and exhibits before the court, as well as the plea from the defence counsel.

Egbe was jailed for deserting his duty post in Gwoza on August 15, 2014 for a total of 272 days after a Boko Haram attack.

However, the court secretary,  Major Yahaya Galadima, told the court that based on the Armed Forces Act provision, any soldier or officer sentenced to prison by the court martial shall also be dismissed, dishonored and disgraced after the imprisonment.