– The sentence was handed down by a General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Maiduguri at the Media Centre, 7 Division Garrison
– Two of the soldiers were found to be in possession of five empty AK-47 rifle magazines and 20,136 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
– The third soldier, Corporal Garba Saidu, was also sentenced to a 10-year jail term for a similar offense
The General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Maiduguri at the Media Centre, 7 Division Garrison, on Wednesday, July 26, sentenced three soldiers to 23 years and 10 years in prison respectively for unlawful possession of firearms.
The soldiers sentenced to 23 years in jail are trooper Fortuned Maculey and trooper Saga Eric Nwokorie, SaharaReporter reports.
ZENITHBLOG.com gathered that the sentences were announced in a statement signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Kingsley Samuel, Deputy Director, Army Public 7 Division.
Soldiers sentenced to 23 years in prison. Photo credit: Nigerian Army
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According to the statement, two of the soldiers, Eric Nwokere and Macaulay Fortune, were attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, the counter-insurgency initiative of the Federal Government.
Each of them was sentenced to 23 years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms, an offense punishable under Section 27 (1) (a & b) (i & ii) of the Firearms Act.
Two of them were found to be in possession of five empty AK-47 rifle magazines and 20,136 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
They were caught at Jumputu Motor Park, Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa state, while boarding a commercial vehicle to an unknown destination.
Soldier sentenced to ten years in prison. Photo credit: Sahara Reporters
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The third soldier, Corporal Garba Saidu, bagged a 10-year jail term for the same offense. He was charged for illegal possession of 2,800 rounds of 7.2mm (Special) ammunition, which he discovered in a poultry farm near Tipper Garage in Maiduguri metropolis. The farm is said to belong to a serving Police officer.
Delivering judgement, president of the court, Lt. col. Adamu Hassan Jahum said the accused soldiers had been found guilty of charges against them and therefore sentenced in order to ensure maintenance of discipline in the ongoing operation and in the Army in general.
Meanwhile, ZENITHBLOG.com had earlier reported that Nigerian Army redeployed, cancelled or amended postings of seven major generals, 45 brigadier generals and 597 other officers last week.
The move was said to be one of its most far-reaching shake-up exercise in the Nigerian Army in recent years.
Watch the ZENITHBLOG.com TV video report of the winging ceremony of the latest pilots of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
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