Army sentences 3 soldiers to 33 years in prison (photos)
The General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Maiduguri at the Media Centre, 7 Division Garrison, on Wednesday, July 26, sentenced three soldiers to 23 years and 10 years in prison respectively for unlawful possession of firearms.
The soldiers sentenced to 23 years in jail are trooper Fortuned Maculey and trooper Saga Eric Nwokorie, SaharaReporter reports.
The sentences were announced in a statement signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Kingsley Samuel, Deputy Director, Army Public 7 Division.
According to the statement, two of the soldiers, Eric Nwokere and Macaulay Fortune, were attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, the counter-insurgency initiative of the Federal Government.
Each of them was sentenced to 23 years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms, an offense punishable under Section 27 (1) (a & b) (i & ii) of the Firearms Act.
Two of them were found to be in possession of five empty AK-47 rifle magazines and 20,136 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
They were caught at Jumputu Motor Park, Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa state, while boarding a commercial vehicle to an unknown destination.
The third soldier, Corporal Garba Saidu, bagged a 10-year jail term for the same offense. He was charged for illegal possession of 2,800 rounds of 7.2mm (Special) ammunition, which he discovered in a poultry farm near Tipper Garage in Maiduguri metropolis. The farm is said to belong to a serving Police officer.
Delivering judgement, president of the court, Lt. col. Adamu Hassan Jahum said the accused soldiers had been found guilty of charges against them and therefore sentenced in order to ensure maintenance of discipline in the ongoing operation and in the Army in general.
