It is a hard knock life for those 27 soldiers court-martialed to jail for life in Nigeria. It would not matter much (to me) if they were found guilty for treason, or committed murder.
No! What the 24 men and three women did was to protest the nonpayment of their allowances during a six month peacekeeping operation in Liberia. Each of the soldier was supposed to have received the UN-approved $1,228 monthly allowance. But their commanding officers sat on the money, or better still, stole the money!
What the protesting solders did was ‘mutinous’ according to the top military brass that tried them. And this deserved life imprisonment. But what about the officers that stole the money? If the mutinous soldiers are getting life imprisonment, are the officers facing the firing squad?
All the thieving officers (Col. A. Awotoye, Commanding Officer of 72 Army Battalion, Makurdi; Lt. Col. Paul Baba, Director of Army Finance; Major Abubakar Shonva, Deputy Director of Army Finance; and Major C. Njoku) got was “a slap on the wrist by losing one rank each”, according to media report.
Haba!
What’s new Nigeria? God will judge and evil people will not go unpunished. It’s just that we have all become so helplessly helpless and can only fume and rant but still no action! God SOS
June 16, 2009 at 1:52 pm
This is insane, sad and arbitrary. I hope someone will do something to help these 27 soldiers otherwise they might forget them in the system. Whoever made this decision should also be arrested. I feel so sorry for these people, they did nothing wrong. Things like this just drive me ccrazy.
June 21, 2009 at 6:27 am
I just could not wonder why there was no big outcry from freedom and justice fighters. It is quite unusual that all is silent about these 27 men. Or is it because they belong to the Military? Whatever, they are still human beings at the end of the day. Or is there no Democracy in Military. Well there is not Democracy in Nigeria either but we still can make our own noise. I do feel sorry for these 27 folks. All they did was fight for their right and voice their discontent. LIFE IMPRISONMENT for this? Haba! Watch out Nigeria for this yardstick could be used outside the Military if allowed to win. We must decry unfairness in all quarters. Which way Nigeria?
June 21, 2009 at 1:53 pm
“But their commanding officers sat on the money, or better still, stole the money!” – This makes the sad story worse.
June 21, 2009 at 1:54 pm