Mutiny: Soldiers Justified When They Claimed They Were Ill-Equipped- Ubani

Former chairman of Ikeja branch of Nigerian Bar Association,
NBA, Monday Ubani, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the execution
of soldiers sentenced to death on Monday by the Army, through the power
bestowed on him as Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

Ubani said that though mutiny was a criminal offence in the
military, the convicted soldiers, however, had a right to appeal the decision
at a higher court.

He also appealed to the military authorities to temper
justice with mercy and  consider the
circumstances that led the soldiers into shooting at their GOC.

Ubani stated that the fact that President Jonathan had asked
for money to procure new equipment to prosecute the war showed that the
soldiers were justified when they claimed they were ill-equipped.

Ubani said:  “The
issue of mutiny is a criminal offence under the military law. And if they have
succeeded in proving all the ingredients of the offence, and they have
convicted them at the tribunal, I think they have a right to appeal and exhaust
their appellate rights at a higher court.

“But this is where tempering justice with mercy comes in.
Because we must take into cognizance the circumstances in which they have to
fire at their boss.

Vanguard