The Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah, on Sunday said that the Nigerian Army would continue to set up court-martial to check indiscipline among troops within its ranks.
The Army boss, who made the statement while speaking during the an Interdenominational Church Service to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2015, NADECL, added that the Army is taking all proactive measures to restore sanity and battle confidence to troops.
“I must set up court-martial and if you are in my place and you did nothing you are not worth being a Chief of Army Staff. I did that, I have no regret.
“I am setting up more court-martial to try people who ran, showed cowardice, abandoned troops and equipment and ran away.
“Why are you in the Army? Why are you running away? Is that the army we want in Nigeria?” Mr. Minimah asked.
He reminded soldiers of the oath they swore to which said that if possible “the soldier should lay down his life for his fatherland” adding that this was the oath they all took.
Mr. Minimah appealed to Nigerians to be patient as more time is needed in the fight against terror. He gave an assurance that the fight would soon be over with the support of the citizenry.
He noted that the choice of Maiduguri for the celebration was for the Army to identify with the government and people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and the entire Northeastern region that the Army shares their pains.
It will be recalled that in 2014, the Nigerian Army’s 7 Division General Court Martial convicted 54 soldiers for conspiracy to commit mutiny and sentenced them to death by firing squad.
The facts of the case indicated that the soldiers, from the 111 Special Forces, were charged for disobeying a direct order from their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Opurum, to take part in an operation to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State from Boko Haram terrorists on August 4.
