A Special Military Court Martial has dismissed and sentenced a solider, Private Hassan Adamu to seven years imprisnment for manslaughter.
Adamu was accused of killing an armless civilian, one Umar Alka Abacha at the Maiduguri Monday market.
He was said to have shot late Alka at the chest, claiming the deceased attempted to disarm him.
According to the witnesses who testified during proceedings, the convict mistook the deceased for a member of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
He said before the deceased was shot by the soldier, he had chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ in the tradition of members of Boko Haram while approaching the Hilux vehicle the solider was inside.
The witness said this made the convict to come out of his vehicle and battered the late Alkali severally before finally putting the bullet through him, which resulted in his instant death.
In his testimony, Father of the slain person, Abubakar Abacha, resident of Bulabulin area of Maiduguri metropolis, told the court martial that he received a call that a soldier killed his son, Umar Alka.
Abacha added that he had arrived the scene only to find his son in a pool of blood, with deep hole passing through his chest, Punch reports.
Delivering judgment, President of the court martial, Brigadier General Olusegun Adeniyu affirmed that based on the rule of engagement, a soldier can only apply maximum force when minimum one fails.
He added that in his confessional statement, while being interrogated by a military police investigator, the convict admitted that the deceased was unarmed during the incident.
Brigadier General Adeneyi said Private Adamu was found guilty for the offence and was therefore dismissed from the Nigerian Army and jailed seven years, subject to the confirmation by the military authority.
This, he said was in accordance with the Nigerian Armed Forces Act and Nigerian Criminal Justice.
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