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November 5, 2024
Despite being pardoned in 2021, these soldiers are still awaiting their outstanding entitlements and discharge certificates from the Nigerian military.
Seventy Nigerian soldiers, previously sentenced to death for mutiny in 2014 after demanding better arms to combat Boko Haram, are now seeking justice from President Bola Tinubu's government.
Despite being pardoned in 2021, these soldiers are still awaiting their outstanding entitlements and discharge certificates from the Nigerian military.
Their story began in 2014 when they refused to fight Boko Haram without adequate weapons, leading to charges of mutiny and cowardice.
The soldiers lamented that despite the presidential pardon, and being compelled to embark on voluntary retirement, they have been struggling to stay afloat with life as they have not received their post-service benefits and discharge certificates.
SaharaReporters had reported that in 2014, the soldiers, who asked for better weapons to fight Boko Haram insurgency, were charged with mutiny and sentenced to death.
However, the death sentence was commuted to 10 years jail term after the case was reviewed.
The soldiers were, however, released in August 2021 from the medium-security custodian centre, Kirikiri, Apapa maximum prison, and Ikoyi correctional centre.
In December 2016, their lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), wrote to then President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting presidential pardon for the soldiers.
The soldiers now seek public support to address their prolonged hardship as the Nigerian Army has reportedly withheld their entitlements and discharge certificates.
The 70 soldiers alongside General EA Ransome-Kuti and two former state governors were among the 159 individuals who received pardon from then President Buhari.
But some of the soldiers who spoke to SaharaReporters on behalf of all of them said there have been disparities in the implementation of the presidential pardon.
According to them, while General Kuti promptly got reinstated to his position, received his entitlements and outstanding salaries, the lower-ranking soldiers have continued to wait for their entitlements and outstanding salaries after they were asked to embark on voluntary retirement instead of reinstatement.
“Why are we still awaiting our entitlements while General Kuti has received his?” one of the soldiers asked, questioning if their junior rank accounts for the delayed payment.
Another soldier said, “We have all the evidence that General Kuti, pardoned alongside us, has been fully paid. We request the same consideration.”
With the worsening economic challenges in Nigeria, the soldiers lamented that their financial struggle has become unbearable, stressing that the delay in releasing their entitlements and benefits have forced some of their children out of school.
“We hope our plight will receive due attention, as we simply seek what is rightfully ours,” one of the soldiers said.
The soldiers who lamented that they have not been able to move forward or take good care of their families lamented that they face barriers in securing employment.
They said they have continued to be stigmatised despite the pardon, which they argue should entitle them to reinstatement and accrued benefits.
They, therefore, appealed to President Tinubu and the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, for urgent intervention.
They also appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to address the unresolved issues of their withheld benefits and discharge certificates.
Efforts to reach the Army spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, for comments failed as he did not answer his calls. Nwachukwu did not also reply to a text message sent to him.