Despite the directive of the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Abayomi Olonisakin, on the immediate dissolution of the military courts across the country,the General Court Martial sitting in Abuja will continue with the trial of alleged offenders today, 12 August, 2015.
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, who is the lead counsel for Ransome-Kuti and some already convicted soldiers as well as others still facing trial, had said on August 2 that he had confirmed the dissolution of the courts-martial from Buratai.
All soldiers facing various offences before the court-martial, it was learnt, had been asked to report at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, on August 17 for the review of their cases.
Infotrust gathered that the trial before the court-martial in Abuja would continue irrespective of the CDS directive.
It was learnt that a lawyer, Maj. Femi Oyebanji, who held the brief for Falana, had urged the Maj.Gen. O.E. Ekanem-led panel to close down the court on the strength of the directive by the new CDS.
Read Also:
But the panel was said to have replied that it had not received such instruction from the army authorities.
Falana confirmed that the trial had continued despite the new CDS directive.
“The trial continues. But I must say that the directive is not clear and the army must endeavour to make the directive clear to those presiding over the courts-martial,” Falana said.
Falana, in a statement on August 2, 2015, had commended the Federal Government and the military for their decision to disband the courts-martial, where he argued that soldiers were being unjustly prosecuted for alleged offences arising from their being poorly equipped.
Falana had said, “I have confirmed from the Chief of Army Staff that the courts-martial have been disbanded while the cases of convicted soldiers would be reviewed.
“A committee has already been set up to inquire into the case of dismissed soldiers.
As counsel for some of the soldiers, I wish to thank the Federal Government and the military authorities for putting an end to the desperate move of Marshal Felix Badeh, former CDS, and co to execute soldiers who refused to commit suicide.”
