A notable acquittal in Nigeria

Femi Falana, SAN

A Nigerian Army court-martial has acquitted a brigadier general of all charges in a court-martial. According to this account, the officer was accused of cowardice, failure to perform military duty and loss of property.

A shocking revelation during the trial was that the then General Officer Commanding HQ 7 Division, Maj Gen MY Ibrahim had prior knowledge of the constraints of the HQ 21 Bde headed by Brig Gen [J.O.] Akomolafe but did not address them. Several requests sent to him by Brig Gen Akomolafe for ammunition replenishment for troops, and for repair teams to take care of repairs of the equipment were deliberately ignored or not granted. 

Perhaps more shocking was the evidence that he got early information of the impending attack from the then former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen JT Minimah (Rtd), but intentionally refused to pass the information to the brigade commander. Furthermore, a last-minute appeal to him one day before the attack by Brig Gen Akomolafe for urgent equipment and ammunitions to fight and safeguard Bama was also denied.

Brig. Gen. Akomolafe was represented by one of Nigeria's leading advocate, Femi Falana, SAN, and Femi Oyebanji, a retired military officer.