By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Theater Commander, Joint Task Force, North East Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Gwaki Musa on Saturday inaugurated The General and Special Court Martials for the trial of 28 Army officers, 130 soldiers at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, the Borno State’s capital.
Maj. Gen. Musa noted that court Martial trials are regimental and judicial exercises which is aimed at reviewing , reducing and removing the rights and privileges of any convicted service personnel, stressing that, “it is a unique to the military and a tributary of criminal trial that flows into the Nigerian Criminal Justice System “.
He explained that the conduct of the military trials under the Armed Forces Act is to deal with matters that pertain directly to the regimentation discipline, efficiency and morale of the military personnel, pointing out that, “because the safety and well being of Nigerians depend considerably on the willingness and readiness of the members of the Armed Forces to defend the nation against any threat to national security”.
He added that to maintain the Armed Forces in a state of readiness, the military as an institution must be ready to enforce internal discipline effectively in accordance with the existing laws.
Accordingly, the Theater Commander said , the court martial is not only viewed as a jury trial but also a court to speedily dispense cases and award punishments in the event of conviction. Hence, the military has its Code of Service Discipline to meet its peculiar disciplinary needs.
He therefore charged the courts to emphasize on laid down statutory laws and the traditional military regimentation with due adherence to the fair hearing requirements as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
General Musa also urged the courts to comply with the provisions of of the Armed Forces Act which richly replicated the Nigerian Constitution by way off observing constitutional fair hearing provisions, which are imperative in military trials.
He therefore, appealed to them to also discharge their duties diligently without any fear, favour or affection.
“I therefore urge you to all to discharge your duties diligently without fear, favour or affection. I wish to employ the courts once again to discharge their duties while strictly guide by the need to do justice to the accused, justice to the victims, if the alleged infractions and justice to the state whose laws are alleged to have been broken”, General Musa said.
The Theater Commander disclosed also that the two courts are expected to try 158 officers and soldiers of the theater command who have been alleged to have committed various degrees of offences against the Nigerian Constitution and Nigerian Army Law while in service and on duty.
The President of the General Court Martial is Major General, Bainze Mohammed and The General Court Martial Secretary is Lt. Col. Rotimi Bakari. While the President of the Special Court Martial is Brig. Gen. Dominic Udofa and the Special Court Secretary is Squadron Leader, Audu Satomi.