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Court Martial Dismisses Soldier From Service For Defiling 14-Year-Old Female IDP

"The accused testified that he slapped and dragged the victim, and also confessed that he inserted his finger into her private parts."

The Theatre Command Special Court Martial sitting in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has dismissed a soldier from service for defiling a 14-year-old female Internally Displaced Person (IDP).

Major General Yakubu Auta, President of the Court, gave the name of the accused officer as Flight Lieutenant Martins Owerrem.

The charges are disobiendence to standing order, assault and defilement.

While delivering his judgment on Tuesday, Auta said: "In view of this, the honourable court is convinced that the accused person defiled the girl.

"On count three, the accused testified that he slapped and dragged the victim, and also confessed that he inserted his finger into her private parts.

"The finding of this honourable court clearly shows that you are guilty on counts 1 and 3, but on the second count charge, the court finds you not guilty."

On count one, the officer was dismissed from the Armed Forces; he was acquitted on count two (disobedience to standing order), and on the third count, he was demoted from Flight Lieutenant to Flying Lieutenant, and thereby lost three years of seniority on his rank.

Auta, thereafter, concluded the hearing.

Owerrem had defiled a 14-year-old IDP girl, when he was OC of the Special Force Battallion, near Bakassi IDP camp, in 2018.