HURIWA raises alarm as Army court-martialled 500 soldiers in 3 years

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Sunday, raises the alarm over growing indiscipline within the Nigerian Army as over 500 soldiers and military officers have been court-martialled in the last 32 months, especially in Nigeria’s terrorist-ravaged North-East theatre of war.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, called for urgent retraining of members of the Nigerian Army and a comprehensive personnel audit to instill professional excellence amongst soldiers and commissioned officers.

HURIWA blames increasing indiscipline and lack of professionalism within the Nigerian military for the massive upsets being suffered by the nation in the war on terror against a largely ragtag Islamic rebels and terror gangsters.

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Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The high number of soldiers and military officers facing charges of professional misconduct and indiscipline is worrisome. It signposts danger in the system. We are also worried that the use of extrajudicial killings of civilians in the South East of Nigeria by the Army, the DSS and the Nigerian police Force has made Nigeria appear like a failed state whereby MIGHT IS RIGHT.

“To have this high number undergoing disciplinary measures shows that there is a loose end somewhere in the current Army’s hierarchy which ought to be tidied up. This number is about the highest in any national army of any nation in the world facing disciplinary hearing.

“This shows a considerable amount of broken-down systems in the enlistment. HURIWA calls on the Army to uphold its standards in the recruitment and training of these soldiers. The Army must be the Nigerian Army and not a section of a bunch of tribal warlords.

“The Army must fundamentally restructure its training and recruitment units so the best brains and potentially ethical officers would be recruited. Root causes of indiscipline like poor salary and unpaid allowances should be looked into if there is any.