6 soldiers dismissed, one bag 28 years imprisonment to return N5.03m

A General Court Martial held at the 3 Division Nigerian Army, has sentenced six soldiers to imprisonment, on various offenses, aimed at sanitizing the Nigeria Army in line with the military disciplinary act.

Among a notable capital punishment meted out was a 28 years imprisonment delivered on a warrant officer, Danladi Shaggy, who stole 3,870 rounds of 7.26 mm ammunition and one AK-47 rifle.

Delivering the judgment at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment Jos, Plateau State, the President of the Court, Brigadier General Liafis Bello, said the six out of eight sentenced were also dismissed and demoted to private soldiers.

The remaining two were reprimanded.

The offenses charged were theft, selling of arms and ammunition, intimidation, and cheating, among other heinous crimes.

However, while convicting Shaggy, the Chairman of the Court Martial said the 28 years is equivalent to 363 months imprisonment.

According to him: “Shaggy was equally dismissed from service and also demoted from the rank of warrant officer to a private soldier. He will also restitute the sum of N5,035,000 being the money he sold the ammunition”, he said.

Our correspondent reports that the seven others found guilty are Lance Corporal Suleiman Hassan, Private Oluwaseyi Williams, Lance Corporal Abraham Samson, Sergeant Ibrahim Salihu, Sergeant Musa Ibrahim, Sergeant Nicholas Josephat and Corporal Isa Ibrahim.

Two out of the seven were reprimanded and demoted, while the remaining five were dismissed, demoted alongside Shaggy, our correspondent said.

Earlier, the President of the Court Martial, Brigadier General Bello, said the Court was convened under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Armed Forces Act (Rules and Procedures) 1972, and other existing laws.

General Bello pointed out that the Court found the convicted soldiers guilty of the offenses, having diligently considered all the allegations brought before it against the accused.