Boko Haram: The military on trial

JULY 10, 2013 

Ihejirika

JUDE OWUAMANAM writes on the ongoing trial of an officer and 17 soldiers for allegedly aiding the Boko Haram terrorist sect and argues that the Nigerian military is on trial.

 The Nigerian military has proven over time to be a symbol of the nation’s unity. On more than one occasion, the military has been called upon to salvage the country from disintegration.

On each of these occasions, they distinguished themselves up till when they left the political scene in 1999.

However, whether military incursion into politics has been a blessing or curse has remained a subject of debate.

Many Nigerians expected that the end of military rule would reduce, if not eliminate the sight of military personnel on the streets.

This has not been the case. The exit of the military opened the flood gates of a renewed scramble for political space among the elite. This in turn gave rise to various kinds of insurgency while militants held sway in the South-South, the Boko Haram was at its formative stage in the North-East.

Overwhelmed by the magnitude of these problems, successive administrations became increasingly dependent on the military to take up internal security roles hitherto reserved for the police.

While militancy in the oil rich Niger-Delta has minised the Boko Haram menace is almost getting out of hand.

The recent declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states gave the military additional impetus to pursue the Islamists fanatics.

Analysts are of the view that these interventions are beginning to leave a sore taste in the mouth of Nigerians.

There are allegations that some of the military personnel assigned to perform these functions have turned their duty posts into avenues for acquiring illicit wealth.

Some of them have been accused of extortion while others are undergoing trial for aiding insurgents for pecuniary gains.

In Plateau State for example, the military, the police and paramilitary agencies such as: the State Security Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps have been involved in joint internal security operations since September 7, 2001.

 There have been allegations that soldiers were being used to attack one group or the other. The story became rife after the November 27 local government elections in the state.

Attention appears to have shifted from the internecine strife in the northern flank of Jos, where the native Beroms and marauding Fulani herdsmen have been engaged in war over grazing grounds.

There are concerns that soldiers drafted to keep the peace are becoming a part of the problem.

While the Beroms accuse soldiers of killing their kith and kin, Fulani herdsmen equally accuse them of aiding the Beroms to launch attacks on them and their livestocks.

Although most of these allegations remain unsubstantiated, the involvement of serving soldiers in the August 12, 2011 abduction of Pa Michael Obi, the septuagenarian father of Chelsea football club star, Mikel, gave credence to some of them.

The soldiers in question were members of the Special Military Task Force in Jos; they were tried, found guilty and dismissed from the army.

About the same period, a senior army officer, Maj. Gen. Muraina Raji, who was the commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, was tried in a military court over the escape of two high-profile Boko Haram detainees.

After he was said to have been found culpable by a military investigation report, he was arraigned before a special court martial in Jos.

Though he was absolved of direct involvement in the escape of the detainees, he was indicted for being the commanding officer of the brigade as at the time they escaped.

He  was exonerated on all three charges proffered against him. Raji, was however convicted on “special findings” by the court and sentenced to a three-month loss of seniority in rank.

The offence for which he was convicted is only known to the military.

The then General Officer Commanding 3 Armourd Division, Maj. Gen. Sunday Idoko, while inaugurating the special court martial said, “It is the duty of superiors to observe, correct and instantly deal with negligence or any misconduct on the part of subordinates.

“When there is any breach, it is expected that appropriate disciplinary measures are taken by commanders to forestall future occurrence.”

Idoko said that the constitutional role of the military required the highest level of discipline and professionalism.

He pointed out that discipline and loyalty were essential to success in the military profession.

A year later, fourteen non-commissioned officers were arraigned before another court martial convened by the then GOC, Maj. Gen. Jack Nwogbo. They were accused of “dining” with the enemy.

The soldiers were alleged to have compromised their integrity while saddled with the responsibility of dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state.

While their trial was still ongoing, a fresh set of soldiers comprising a lieutenant and 17 others appeared before a General Court Martial on July 1, 2013.

They are standing trial for aiding members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.  They are being charged for an offence referred to in military parlance as: “communication with the enemy, cowardly behaviour, murder and manslaughter.”

Again, while inaugurating the GCM, the GOC, Maj. Gen. Ebisowei Awala, said, “Discipline and professionalism are the foundation on which the military career rests. As a matter of fact, discipline and loyalty are two essential requirements no officer or soldier, who wants to succeed in professional soldiering, can afford to lack.

“It is the duty of superiors to observe, correct and instantly deal with negligence or any misconduct on the part of subordinates and when there is any breach, it is expected that appropriate disciplinary measures must be taken by commanders to forestall future occurrences.

“This way, the Nigerian Army can continue to play its constitutional role and sustain its accolade as the pride of the Nigerian nation.”

When President Goodluck Jonathan said the Boko Haram sect had infiltrated the armed forces many looked at him with scorn.

If the core values of our military can degenerate to a level where professionalism is fast becoming alien, it will then mean that Nigeria’s unity is at a risk.

For an average soldier to be on the street is serious business. Tales abound about junior officers engaging in unwholesome practices to be posted to road blocks. For some, such postings have become more lucrative than life within the confines of  the barracks.

These sad events have unwittingly put the military as an institution on trial. Gone are the days when the mere sight of uniformed man on the streets inspired awe and admiration.

Many young men joined the military because of their smart uniforms and discipline. Today, soldiering is fast becoming just one of those professions. The activities of some of them in and out of uniform, hardly inspire confidence.

The STF Commander in Jos, Maj. Gen. Henry Ayoola, down played allegations leveled against his men.

He said “Of course, when we get some of these allegations, the first response is to investigate because we are professionals. There some allegations that we get which are out rightly stupid, and are based on ignorance. As the man is making the allegation, you will see that he is contradicting himself and you will note that if he knew what he is saying he would not be saying it.

“Of course, the majority of the allegations are thoroughly investigated. A lot of the allegations you have though are a carry-over of old perceptions.

“In all the allegations we have investigated, even the ones carried out by independent bodies, none of us has been found culpable. There was a time they said one STF man was working for one side of the conflict; some people don’t even understand that the officers and men who were here then are not the ones here now. So those allegations are unfounded.”

Ayoola however admitted that there were problems. He said there was a general decay in every aspect of Nigerian life. He said, “The issue is not about government; it is about our entire system, our entire values. The security challenges we are facing today are totally unprecedented. We are falling from a level of some irreducible minimum, in terms of character and values.”

Analysts attribute the rot in the military to its involvement in politics, especially during military rule but others attribute it to the pattern of recruitment and promotion.

In situations where merit is sacrificed on the altar of tribe and religion, the military cannot attract and retain those that are genuinely willing to serve.

Human rights activist, Mr. Gad Shamaki, considers the ongoing trial as a good beginning for a military prepared to remove bad eggs.

He said, “The implications are clear; number one, to restore confidence, faith and respect for the military and to two, to encourage professionalism.”

His counterpart, Mr. Joseph Sangosanya, said such offences in the military are grievous and offenders must be subjected to trial and punishment if found guilty to serve as a deterrent to others.