AUGUST 19, 2015 : ADE ADESOMOJU

The General Court Martial sitting in Abuja has
struck out the charge of cowardly behaviour
preferred against a former Commander of the
Multi-National Joint Task Force, Brig. Gen. Enitan
Ransome-Kuti, The PUNCH has learnt.
Our correspondent however learnt that Ransome-
Kuti’s trial will continue as he has two other
charges of failure to perform military duties and
miscellaneous offences relating to loss of the
army’s armaments still pending against him.

The senior army officer is a son of the late pro-
democracy and human rights activist, Dr. Beko
Ransome-Kuti, and nephew to the late Afrobeat
maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
He was arraigned before the court along with
others in June this year for the charges which
arose from the attack by Boko Haram terrorists
on the Headquarters of the MNJTF, then in Baga,
Borno State, on January 3, 2015.

He was accused of cowardly abandoning his post,
neglecting his duties, and failing to account for
the army’s armament in his custody during and
after the terrorists’ attack.
The armament he allegedly could not account for,
according to the army authorities, comprised
three multipurpose light-armoured towing vehicles
(MTLB in Russian), three rocket-propelled grenade
launchers, two pan herd, three Sagie, one VBL
amoured vehicle, eight general purpose machine
guns, eight browning machine guns, two trucks,
12 Hilux vehicles and large quantity of
ammunition.

The Maj. Gen. O.E. Ekanem-led court was said to
have struck out the charge of cowardly behaviour
preferred against Ransome-Kuti following a no-
case submission application which the accused
filed after the prosecution called three witnesses
to prove its case.
Journalists had been barred from covering the
proceedings of the court-martial.

But our correspondent learnt that with the court
striking out one of the charges against him on
August 12, 2015, Ransome-Kuti is left to face
charges of failure to perform military duties and
miscellaneous offences relating to loss of the
army’s armaments.
The prosecution subsequently called three
witnesses after the accused persons were
arraigned.
But, Ransome-Kuti had, through his counsel, Mr.
Femi Falana (SAN) and Maj. Femi Oyebanji (retd),
filed the no-case submission contending that the
prosecution had failed to prove its case to
warrant him opening his defence.
But the court was said to have upheld the
argument of the defence lawyers only with
respect to their objection to the charge of
cowardice.


Our correspondent sighted a copy of the
defence’s no case submission on Tuesday.
In their analysis of the charge of cowardly
behaviour, the defence lawyers, argued that the
evidence of the first prosecution witness which
was to prove the allegation was incoherent.
The lawyers maintained that from the evidence
adduced by the prosecution, it was clear that
Ransome-Kuti never abandoned MNJTF in Baga
on January 3, 2015.
The lawyers added that under the situation
whereby the command lacked the needed
equipment, the accused was justified “by the
absence of hope or relief, inability to offer further
resistance or the certainty or extreme probability
that no further efforts could prevent the place,
post or thing falling into enemy hands.

The lawyers also denied the charge of failure to
perform military duty, arguing that the
prosecution failed to adduce evidence on their
client’s schedule of duties to show which of them
he performed negligently.

http://www.punchng.com/news/court-martial-drops-cowardice-charge-against-ransome-kuti/

cc: Lalasticlala, Obinoscopy et al

Omo ale jatijati.



E no resemble him forbears.


Fela and Beeko..... those ones are heroes. Awon omo akin ti kii s'ojo.

Dismiss the coward from the NA jare!!!

.