Army court martials 14 officers, 9 soldiers for various offences

By Iyojo Ameh

The Commander of the Army Headquarters Garrison (AHQ Gar), Maj.-Gen Koko Isoni, Thursday inaugurated a General Court Martial to try 14 officers and nine soldiers alleged to have breached different provisions of the Armed Forces Act.

The exercise was convened at the Scorpion Officer’ Mess, Asokoro Abuja, pursuant to the powers conferred on him by Section 131 (2) (d) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN, 2004 for the trial of Nigerian Army personnel alleged to have committed different offences.

The Garrison Commander in his inaugural speech assured the accused persons that justice would be done to all parties concerned by members of the court, stating that members of the court are men of integrity and high standing character who would bring to bear, their years of experience and service knowledge.

With a firm commitment to a fair and just process, the Commander reminded both the accused and the court of their responsibilities.

He assured the accused personnel that justice would prevail, urging them to cooperate and avoid unnecessary delays that could prolong their trials, emphasizing that justice delayed is justice denied and also emphasised the independence of the court from his influence and challenged the court to carry out its duties without fear or favor, making it clear that impartiality was the cornerstone of this trial.

He named the Court President as Brig.-Gen. MO Eteng; while the judge Advocate is Maj. AD Roberts, adding that the duration of the sitting is 60 days.