By OKOSUN DENNIS
FOLLOWING their involvement in acts contrary to military discipline which led to their being court martialed by the Nigerian Army authorities, the two general risk being demoted or sentenced to jail depending on the outcome of the military court.
The two-star generals were on Thursday in Abuja court martialed for what the army called “offences unbecoming of senior officers and violating service discipline.”
The two are Maj.-Gen Ibrahim Sani, the Chief of Army Transformation and Innovation Centre and Maj.-Gen Patrick Falola, who was the former Commander, 68 Reference Hospital, Yaba Lagos.
It was learnt that General Sani sold a land in Abuja belonging to the army to members of the public.
The land located at opposite the Mogadishu Barracks along Nyanya road was being developed by people he allegedly sold it to.
He was said to have clandestinely obtained army receipt he gave to the buyers.
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It was further learnt that when the army authority confronted him about the sold land, he went and brought some documents claiming that that a lot of money have been invested into the project and challenged the army to pay him huge amount of money as compensation.
According to the Armed Forces Act 1993, Paragraph 103 Section (1) said, “A person subject to service law under this Act who is guilty of a conduct or neglect to the prejudice of good order and service discipline is guilty of an offence under this section and liable, on conviction by a court marital, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act”.
At the commencement of the sitting, the president of the court who swore to an oath as well as other members of the court in the presence of the accused persons and lawyers from both the prosecution and defence teams, promised to be fair to the accused persons according to the provisions of military laws.
The panel include Air Vice Marshal James Gbum, who is the President of the court, while Air Vice Marshal Iya Abdullahi and Rear Admiral Peter Agba are members of the panel.
However, Surgeon Rear Admiral Edwin Enechukwu is a waiting member and Colonel Sa’ad Musa is Judge Advocate.
It was gathered that the officers are being tried for offence bordering on conduct unbecoming of military officers punishable under the Armed Forces Act.
Although the charges were not read to the accused persons, the President of the court, Air Vice Marshal Gbum, he adjourned to this morning, Monday, 9 May for arraignment and commencement of trial.