Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to pardon 70 soldiers found guilty of mutiny by various military court martial since 2014.

He made the request in a letter to the President on December 19, 2016, pursuant to Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution.The 70 soldiers, whose death sentence was commutted to 10 years imprisonment, are in custody at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos State.

Falana argued that since the demand of the convicted soldiers and others for weapons found justification in the criminal diversion of the fund provided for the purchase of arms and armament to fight terrorists, there was no legal and moral justification for the conviction and sentences imposed on them by the courts-martial.

“In Your Excellency’s interview aired by BBC Hausa Service on December 28, 2015, you observed that “the government at that time sent soldiers to the battlefield without arms and ammunition to prosecute the war. That was what led some of them to mutiny. They were arrested and detained because of this.”

“In the light of the foregoing, Your Excellency will agree with us that since the armed forces were not equipped to defend the territorial integrity of the nation the convicts did not commit mutiny or any other offence whatsoever in demanding for weapons to fight well armed insurgents. But assuming without conceding that our clients committed any offence they have suffered enough, having spent over three years in dehumanising prison conditions.

“However, since the demand for weapons to carry out counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast zone was legitimately made by our clients under the Armed Forces Act, we urge Your Excellency to grant them pardon pursuant to Section 175 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended”, he pleaded.

Falana listed grounds upon which he based his appeal.

He said: “The courts-martial, which tried our clients, deliberately failed to take cognisance of Section 179 of the Armed Forces Act, which permits “a soldier, rating or aircraftman to make a complaint to his commanding office and that he shall not be penalised for having made a complaint.

“The Arms Procurement Panel set up by Your Excellency has confirmed that the fund earmarked for the purchase of arms and ammunition was criminally diverted by former service chiefs and other senior military officers.

“The indicted military officers are being prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for unlawful enrichment and criminal diversion of public funds.

He argued that members of the armed forces are not excluded from the application of fundamental rights, right to life, right to personal liberty, right to fair hearing, and right to freedom from discrimination.”

“In light of the foregoing, Your Excellency will agree with us that since the armed forces were not equipped to defend the territorial integrity of the nation the convicts did not commit mutiny or any other offence whatsoever in demanding for weapons to fight well armed insurgents. But assuming without conceding that our clients committed any offence they have suffered enough having spent over three years in dehumanising prison conditions”, he added.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/falana-seeks-pardon-for-70-soldiers-serving-10-years-for-mutiny/

Falana rep fawehinmi far far

I Concur!

Military......its ok sha

Nice

They should be released joor...... Why send them to battle bokoharam without weapons??

make fg free ds people joor....

Pls

Every accusation made on those soldiers were false and i dont blame dem for what dey did! Going to war without weapons is like commiting suicide.

#Thankyousanfalana#

Good move sir God of justice bless you

God bless Falz Snr. Doing a good job representing the oppressed. This is commendable, coming on the heels of the succesful defence of Zakzaky

SNR FALZ

Come to think of it , your government told us that money budgeted for the purchase of arms where diverted , in other words these soldiers were not equipped with arms to fight the insurgents , how come you are charging the same soldiers for mutiny , you want them to go and commit suicide in sambisa ba?, this government is the biggest joke of the century

X

well said Alana!

well said falana!

iSupport

Ok

BUHARI? How many times I call you...


Discharge those innocent men from prison[color=#000099][/color]

I pray falz continues to trail on the part of his father, after all d apple does not fall far from its tree

Ijeuwadiuto:
Come to think of it , your government told us that money budgeted for the purchase of arms where diverted , in other words these soldiers were not equipped with arms to fight the insurgents , how come you are charging the same soldiers for mutiny , you want them to go and commit suicide in sambisa ba?, this government is the biggest joke of the century

Has Bubu spent 3years already?

dasuki u see wat u av cos

Ijeuwadiuto:
Come to think of it , your government told us that money budgeted for the purchase of arms where diverted , in other words these soldiers were not equipped with arms to fight the insurgents , how come you are charging the same soldiers for mutiny , you want them to go and commit suicide in sambisa ba?, this government is the biggest joke of the century

Which govt charged them for mutiny? Check very well, u will find out that ur hero was just... infact I don't know what to say.

Dwhyte4:
BUHARI? How many times I call you...


Discharge those innocent men from prison[color=#000099][/color]

Ur hero jailed them.

Ijeuwadiuto:
Come to think of it , your government told us that money budgeted for the purchase of arms where diverted , in other words these soldiers were not equipped with arms to fight the insurgents , how come you are charging the same soldiers for mutiny , you want them to go and commit suicide in sambisa ba?, this government is the biggest joke of the century

..........Did you even read the article before commenting TRASH ?.........

Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to pardon 70 soldiers found guilty of mutiny by various military court martial since 2014.

ItsawrapOutfit:
iSupport

iSupport too!

Ijeuwadiuto:
Come to think of it , your government told us that money budgeted for the purchase of arms where diverted , in other words these soldiers were not equipped with arms to fight the insurgents , how come you are charging the same soldiers for mutiny , you want them to go and commit suicide in sambisa ba?, this government is the biggest joke of the century

may be govt want the soldiers to use stones and cutlasses to fight the insurgents

They were sent to jail to cover their own corruption.... I believe Mr President will act on this letter. Falana is just one of the noble men we have in nigeria