The Nigerian Army has refuted allegations of ethnic bias in the trial of soldiers recently brought before a Court Martial in 82 Division, Enugu.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, the Army emphasized its status as a composite national institution, dismissing claims that it operates as an ethnic militia. The response comes in reaction to media reports suggesting a deliberate attempt to convict soldiers from Southern Nigeria while allowing those from Northern Nigeria to escape punishment. The report also cited concerns raised by some soldiers arraigned before the court martial.
He noted that the misleading report was being circulated to cause disharmony within the army and by extension the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The report is entirely bereft of any strand of truth and ultimately aimed at disparaging the current leadership of the army in particular and the armed forces in general, using the instrumentality of ethnic and religious bigotry, according to him.
Nwachukwu explained that the composition of the said court martial was not based on regional representation but was diverse, with personnel drawn from various regions of the country.
He revealed that the President of the Court was of Northern extraction, while the Judge Advocate was from the South.
He added that 60 per cent of the court martial members were of Southern extraction.
This demonstrates a fair and balanced representation, even though religion and ethnicity are not major focal criteria in the decision making process of the army,according to him.
“The decision of a court martial is collective and based on evidence presented during the trial.
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“The court martial proceedings were conducted impartially, regardless of the ethnic or religious backgrounds of the personnel involved. The outcome was based solely on the evidence presented.
“For example, in the case of Pte. Usman Shonva, it was found that there were other soldiers present at the scene who also fired their weapons. Therefore, the court concluded that the shot that killed the soldier could have been fired by any of them, leading to Shonva’s discharge and acquittal.
“It’s important to note that the Nigerian Army does not assign its personnel based on regional factors for court martial membership. The Army is a national institution, not an ethnic militia, and it rejects attempts to divide it along ethnic or religious lines.
“The Army assures that court martial proceedings were conducted fairly and impartially.”
He urged the publisher of the report to refrain from peddling misinformation capable of engendering disaffection and disharmony among army personnel, other services and security personnel.
“We urge the public to note the true picture and discountenance the false report published by the online media platform.
“Continued spread of the misinformation will only serve the ulterior motive of the author, which is to cause disharmony in the Nigerian army.
“The army is committed to upholding justice, equity and discipline within its ranks, and will continue to ensure that all personnel are treated fairly and in accordance with the law,” he added.
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