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BUHARI/NIGERIABack
[Published: Saturday May 23 2015]

'Buhari hope' for Nigerian death-row soldiers
Abuja, 23 May - (ANA) - Nigeria's incoming president may review the death sentences of 66 soldiers convicted for refusing to fight Boko Haram, a lawyer has said. Femi Falana said that Muhammadu Buhari had promised to review all operations against the militants. He said that he was now confident the soldiers, who said they lacked weapons to take on the Islamist insurgents, would not be executed. This week it was revealed another 579 soldiers face trial over indiscipline. Army spokesman Sani Usman said the courts martial, currently taking place in the capital, Abuja, were to ensure professionalism in the army. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, had caused "one of the most serious humanitarian crises in Africa".
Mr Falana, who is a prominent human rights lawyer and represented some of the 66 sentenced to death for conspiracy, cowardice and mutiny last year, said the Nigerian government had failed to adequately equip the units fighting the insurgency in the north-east. "They [the soldiers] did not sign to commit suicide but to fight for their fatherland and since the government did not make weapons available, they were unable to fight," he said. (ANA)

FA/ANA/23 May 2015------------

 


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