A soldier, operating under LAFIYA DOLE in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents, Lance Corporal John Godwin, has been sentenced to death by General Court Martial (GOC) sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The soldier was charged with murder, punishable under Section 106 (a) of Armed Forces Acts (Cap A20), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, for killing five rescued civilians in Yamteke town of Borno State.
The civilians were said to have earlier been rescued by troops of the soldier’s battalion and were taken for investigation at the time the soldier shot and killed 5 of them.
The military court also sentenced another soldier, Sergeant Innocent Ototo, to life imprisonment for manslaughter after torturing and killing a 13 year old boy who he said stole his phone.
The incident happened at Zamanbari area of Maiduguri metropolis in Borno State.
While Lance Corporal Benjamin Osage and Private Sunday Onwe were also sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each for offences bordering on manslaughter and illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition.
Delivering the judgement, the President of the Court Martial, Brigadier General Gbenga Olusegun Adesina, said that the offences run contrary to Nigerian Army’s Rules of Engagement (ROE) and also against Nigerian Laws and Geneva Conventions which Nigeria is signatory to and which the Nigerian Army as a professional Army holds in high esteem.[myad]
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