Boko Haram Members Were Treated Better Than Soldiers In Prison, Officers Lament After Release From Kirikiri

About 70 soldiers whose death sentences were commited to 10 years imprisonment following public outcry in 2015 have regained their freedom.

The soldiers, who were freed in different batches between May and August this year, have told THE WHISTLER about their experience at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Ikoyi, Lagos.

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The soldiers were sentenced to death, life imprisonment and other punishment for various offences including mutiny, desertion, and disobedience of lawful orders by military courts

They include the 54 soldiers sentenced to death by firing squad on December 17, 2014. The soldiers, who were from the 111 Special Forces, were charged for disobeying a direct order from their commanding officer, Timothy Opurum, a Lieutenant Colonel, to participate in an operation to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State from Boko Haram terrorists on August 4.

Their sentences were among those reviewed to 10 years imprisonment by the Nigeria Army in 2015 following condemnation by the public and local and international civil organizations.

Lagos lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, had taken up the case of the soldiers against the army.

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Corporal Jasper Braidolor, leader of the freed soldiers and one of the 54 from the 111 Special Forces, spoke to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday.

“I put in 18 years in the army serving my country and was made to spend another seven years in prison because we asked for weapons to fight Boko Haram; when you request for arms is that mutiny?

“In 2013 and 2014 it was suicidal to fight Boko Haram because we were fighting with refurbished weapon and soldiers were angry. Because they read and hear the amount of money given to buy arms.

“They treated us badly in prison; no one was taking care of us. Even the Boko Haram members were getting better treatment than us in prison because they were providing them food and other items.

“What kind of country is this that will treat its patriotic soldiers this way?”

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Braidolor, who revealed many of them had served in several peace keeping mission abroad, said it was only Falana that had stood by them and fought for their release from prison, adding that MURIC, led by Prof Ishaq Akintola, also assisted them in the prison.

He said all of them would like to be reinstated by the army so that they could continue with their lives.

“We are not doing anything since after our release because we don’t have anything. We have served the army for many years and they should just reinstate us and let us be discharged properly because we have dependants,” he pleaded.

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