Africa News --54 Nigerian soldiers were sentenced to death by a court
martial for refusing to fight and help in the recapture of towns that had been overrun
by Boko Haram militants in August. The
lawyer representing the 54 accused of mutiny said they will be executed by a
firing squad. The initial number was 59 but five of them were acquitted.
Nigerian is one of the several countries in Africa faced by
the threat of terrorism. Troops in the West
African country have often complained of lack of enough weapons to battle Boko
Haram insurgents.
Boko Haram has waged war since 2009 in a push to create an
Islamic state in North Eastern Nigeria. More than 2000 people have perished directly
and thousands displaced following the conflict.
The court martial proceedings started in October and have
been conducted behind closed doors since then. According to the defense lawyer,
Femi Falani, the soldier were charged for "conspiring to commit mutiny
against the authorities of 7 Division, Nigerian Army".
The case brings to the fore the questions of how Nigeria,
the most populous country in Africa, is prepared to protect its citizens
against Islamic insurgency. Insecurity in Nigeria has dominated Africa News in the past few years.
