Human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, on Sunday urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai to release all 66 soldiers, whose death sentence was commuted to 10 years imprisonment, including four others who were left out of the exercise.
The senior lawyer insisted that 70 and not 66 soldiers were sentenced to death by two courts-martial in 2014, stressing that the army chief should release them instead of reversing the death sentences passed on them.
In a press statement he issued in Lagos, Falana listed those not affected by the commuter order as, LCP, Bankole Taiwo, Ayodele Olawale, Isiah Osofu and Adebayo Gbenga.
The rights activist recalled that the Army Public Relations Officer, Sani Usman had announced that the chief of army staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai commuted the death sentenced passed on 66 soldiers who were convicted last year by two courts-martial.
Falana then noted that “Since we defended 58 of the convicted soldiers we wish to react as follows:
“12 soldiers were convicted in September 2014 and sentenced to death by a court-martial for demanding for weapons when the General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army visited a military camp in the war zone.
“58 others were convicted and sentenced to death in December by another court-martial for demanding for weapons to fight the insurgents.
“Therefore, the number of soldiers who were sentenced to death by the two courts-martial is 70 and not 66.”
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