Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has vowed to
defend the soldiers who are facing trial for mutiny in Abuja, Nigeria’s
capital, and hopes that justice would be done.
Ninety-seven
officers and men of the Nigerian Army were Thursday court-martialled
for refusing to fight Boko Haram insurgents in northeast Nigeria.
Out
of this number, Falana’s law firm is defending sixty-eight of them. The
military court would start sitting on 15 October, 2014.
However,
the appointment of Lt. Col. Ukpe Ukpe as a member of the 13-man panel
of General Court Martial is causing ripples because the same officer
advised the military authorities to establish the court martial, as this
negates the principle of fairness.
Falana told
journalists shortly after the inauguration of the court martial Thursday
that lawyers would consult with their clients to take a decision on the
issue of the appointment of Ukpe as Judge Advocate.
Falana also agreed with another defence lawyer, Maj. Mike
Kebonkwu (retd.), that it was wrong for the accused to be taken to the
trial court without being given the charge sheet and other vital
documents concerning the trial.
According to Falana, “We
don’t have the charge sheet; we don’t have the convening order; we
don’t have the summary of evidence of those who are coming to give
evidence and the law says that all accused persons are entitled to full
materials for their own defence and the court appreciated that.
“Hence,
an order has been made that all the necessary documents be made
available to all the accused persons so that the trial can commence in
earnest on October 15.
“I have no cause to doubt the
integrity of the members of the court; I have taken part in a number of
courts of this nature. Even where we lost, we have had to go on appeal,
and we succeeded. So there is no cause for alarm. I think the President
of the court has assured the accused persons that justice will be
done.’’
Another counsel to the soldiers, Shuaibu Isah,
from Credence Attorneys, also faulted the appointment of Ukpe as the
Judge Advocate.
He said it was wrong to ask a man who
advises the authorities that established the court martial to be a Judge
Advocate, adding that Ukpe had taken a stance on the case and given a
piece of advice that obviously aided the drafting of the charges against
the accused.
Eighteen soldiers faced a similar trial
on 16 September, 2014. Twelve were sentenced to death by firing squad,
one received a light sentence, while five were exonerated.
Source:PM News
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