The Nigerian Army has dismissed allegations of preferential treatment towards soldiers of northern extraction implicated in an officer’s murder case, asserting transparency and fairness in the judicial process.
Addressing misconceptions, the Army clarified that the Military Court Martial overseeing the trial comprised a diverse panel, with significant representation from both northern and southern regions.
In a statement, the Director of Army Public Relations underscores the institution’s commitment to professionalism, emphasizing that decisions are based on evidence, not ethnicity or religion.
Refuting assertions of partiality, the Army highlighted the impartial nature of the court proceedings, emphasizing the collective scrutiny of evidence to determine outcomes.
“The Nigerian Army (NA) has noted the appalling misinformation being circulated by an online media platform.
“That some allegedly aggrieved soldiers who were recently arraigned before a Court Martial in 82 Division, Enugu, expressed concern that there was a deliberate effort to convict soldiers of southern extraction, while those from northern Nigeria were allowed to go free.
“Contrary to the misleading report being circulated to cause disharmony within the NA and by extension the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN, the NA wishes to clarify and unequivocally aver that the report is entirely bereft of any strand of truth and ultimately aimed at disparaging the current leadership of the NA in particular and the AFN in general, using the instrumentality of ethnic and religious bigotry.
“Notably, the composition of the Court Martial was not based on regional representation, rather, the membership of the court was diverse, with personnel drawn from various regions of the country.
“It is exigent to note that the President of the Court Martial is of northern extraction, while the Judge Advocate is from the South.
“Additionally, 60 percent of the Court Martial members are of southern extraction, demonstrating a fair and balanced representation, even though religion and ethnicity are not major focal criteria in the decision-making process of the NA.
“The decision of a Court Martial is collective and based on evidence presented during the trial.
“The said Court Martial tried the personnel, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations and the outcome was determined strictly based on the evidence presented.
“In espousing the position of the NA in the cases mentioned in the report, taking that of Private Usman Shonva for instance, evidence revealed that there were other soldiers at the scene of the incident, who also fired their weapons.
“Hence, the court, based on this finding among others, reached the conclusion that the shot that killed the dead soldier could have been fired by any of the soldiers at the scene, thus, leading to his discharge and acquittal.
“It must be emphasized, that the NA does not task its personnel (including for court martial membership) on a regional basis in order to achieve ‘national spread’.
“The NA is a composite national institution and not an ethnic militia.
“It will, therefore, not bite the odious bait being dangled to induce splintering along sectional, ethnic and religious fissures.
“The court martial proceedings were conducted in a fair and unbiased manner.
“It is advisable, therefore, that the concerned online media refrains from peddling misinformation capable of engendering disaffection and disharmony among NA personnel, other services and security personnel.
“We urge the public to note the true picture and discountenance the false report published by the online media platform.
“The continued spread of the misinformation will only serve the ulterior motive of the author, which is to cause disharmony in the NA.
“The Army is committed to upholding justice, equity and discipline within its ranks, and will continue to ensure that all personnel are treated fairly and in accordance with the law,” the Army’s statement reads.
