Seventeen individuals, comprising 1 warrant officer, 2 staff sergeants, 4 sergeants, 2 lance corporals, 4 corporals, and 4 privates, are set to face trial for various offenses within the Nigerian Army. These offenses range from armed robbery to gun running, along with other illicit activities.
The trial proceedings will take place in a specially convened military court inaugurated by Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3 Division Nigerian Army. Brig. Gen. Liafis Bello will preside over the court-martial, with Major Nasir Abdullahi serving as the judge advocate. The venue for the trial is the Rhino Officers’ Mess, located within the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment at Rukuba Barracks, Jos.
The prosecuting counsel, led by Major A. Mairuwa, the acting director of Legal Services for the Nigerian Army, formally arraigned the 17 accused persons following the court’s inauguration. They are charged with offenses such as gun running, armed robbery, illegal possession of arms and ammunition, and other criminal acts.
General Bello, the court’s president, emphasized that the trial would adhere strictly to the provisions outlined in the Armed Forces Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Representing the Plateau State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Samson Gotom stressed the importance of the court ensuring that the rights of the accused are respected and that they receive a fair hearing throughout the proceedings.