Court Marshal Frees 19 Soldiers Fighting Insurgency, After Years Of Detention In Military Cells

The Military Court Marshal trying over 142 soldiers over sundry offences in Maiduguri, Borno State, has freed no fewer. than 19 soldiers who were detained for over 16 months in military cells.
Altogether, about 142 soldiers who are fighting insurgency in the Northeast, were detained but some were freed after their trial while the 19 soldiers were not tried by the court marshal but recommended for "summary trial" by their unit commanders.
As at Friday, November 29, 2024, the released soldiers were yet to leave their cells after about three weeks of the order  releasing them, following the inability of their units to come for their collection.
The Defence Headquarters set up the Court Marshal in June this year, following outcries over their detention for several months or years without trial in the war zone.
The Court Marshall headed by Major General A. C. Adetoba, was to handle their trials expeditiously.
However, apart from General Adetoba of (AHQ DATI), other members of the panel included two Brigadier Generals:- A.Y Yakubu, (HQ 36 AB) and Abubakar of NAHFC; Navy Commodore P.P.Nimmyel ; Col G.E. Archibong, DSA, and seven others.
The Prosecution team was led by Lt. Col. W.F David (7Div Provost Gp) and two other officers, even as the trial which took place at the Command Guest House, Maiduguri began from July 8, 2024.
Some of the soldiers were detained over alleged offences including stealing of arms and ammunition or losing them to insurgents.
SaharaReporters had reported  that some of the detained soldiers had been in the war front for close to seven years without leave or PASS even as some have not seen their wives or children in the last three and a half years. 
It was alleged that some of the detained soldiers also, reportedly stole some quantities of bullets while others lost their guns to terrorists, among other offences.
Among those detainees were about 20 soldiers who had been recommended to be released to their units because their cases were light according to military lawyers.
It was learnt that the military police had been collecting about N87,000 monthly feeding and other related allowances of most of the detained soldiers.
Some of the detained soldiers had been in the war front for over six years without being replaced with fresh hands or rotated just as they have not been issued with "PASS" to enable them travel to their various homes to see their parents or wives and children in the last three years.
Sources said that some of the soldiers were posted to the war front between 2017 and 2018 but have neither been rotated or transferred to other areas for fresh hands to move in since then.
A senior military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said some of the soldiers are weary even as most were suffering from war fatigue, crack or depression.
Some of the soldiers who were taken to the war front between the middle of 2017 and early January 2018, also said that their welfare or feeding arrangements depended solely on the garrison or brigade commanders.
Occasionally, soldiers in war fronts are given "pass" to visit their families but some of us have not our wives and children in the last two and a half years, some of the troops said, adding that some of their wives had abandoned them for other men including their colleagues in the barracks.
Their words, "Some Garrison or Brigade Commanders are not interested in troops welfare. However, some are more interested in promotions while some only feed soldiers well but do not care about their promotions or other welfare issues.
"Some commanders are very bad; both garrison and brigade commanders. They  are not interested in paying their troops any benefits or promoting them. We have tasted all these types of denials."
Some of the troops in Bama, Borno State, said they need more hands to fight the insurgents.
Sometimes, they attack our units of five or 11 soldiers, using RPG and AGL bombs...while we use LMGs. If you abandon any weapon while escaping, you will be detained for a very long time, tried or court marshaled. 
Meanwhile, close relations of the soldiers are complaining that, "Our brothers and husbands have been serving in the North East since early 2017 or 2018, without being changed or even allowed to visit their families at all. As we speak, we have not seen them since them for over two years and a half or three years. We learnt that some are feeling depressed.
"As their relations, we feel bad that these soldiers are unable to see their wives or children in the last three or four years. We feel emotionally disturbed. Some of them have lost their wives to other men or even fellow soldiers.
Attempts to get reactions from the Army Public Relations Department over the issue was not successful