From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The General and Special Court Martial set-up by Joint Military Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, in North East, has sentenced 30 soldiers to imprisonment for professional misconduct in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
The court martial has also recommended the reduction of rank and loss of seniority for 25 soldiers, 20 for loss of pay, 17 for severe reprimand, four for dismissal from service, while 227 others are currently undergoing trial.
Theatre Commander, Operation Hadinkai Major, General Christopher Musa, made the disclosure while inaugurating the Special Court Martial to try 29 soldiers.
Gen. Musa, while noting that 227 soldiers and officers were presented before the military court for various offences, said: “What we have done is that they were recommended and forwarded to army headquarters. The confirming authority for the soldiers rests on the Chief of Army Staff, while the Army Council is the body to ratify the officers before the implementation.
“We have 30 imprisonment cases, four dismissal from the armed forces, 25 reduction of rank and loss of seniority, 20 loss of pay, severe reprimand 17, discharged and acquitted 10, cases struck off 14, recommended summary trial 107, and a total of 227.
“The whole essence is to ensure there is justice; that is why it took us sometime to bring this out because we don’t want anyone to feel he has been shortchanged for whatever reason.”