25 Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death over Boko Haram sue the Army

The 25 Nigerian soldiers who were sentenced to death by hanging in December 2014 for refusing to fight Boko Haram, have dragged the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army staff, Kenneth Minimah to court, challenging their death sentence by a special court martial set up by the Nigerian Army.

According to Premium Times, in the court papers filed by lawyers from Falana & Falana Chambers, the soldiers in their summons questioned the refusal of the Army Chief, and the Nigerian army to make public their findings from the general court martial they conducted.


The soldiers are also seeking to know if it is legal for the army to withhold the document in which their judgement was stated and if the death sentence handed to them can be carried out while they still await judgement from a court of appeal regarding their conviction.

The soldiers are also seeking to know if the death sentence handed to them can be carried out without the express approval of President Buhari and if it is illegal for them not to be allowed visits from family members and their lawyers.

The 25 soldiers are 21 private soldiers, two corporals and two lance corporals. No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.