Buhari may pardon soldiers on death row – Femi Falana

by Kolapo Olapoju

Leading lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, says that President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, may commute the sentences of soldiers on death row.

In a telephone interview with Punch Newspapers, he expressed optimism that the incoming President may not sign the death warrants on the 66 soldiers convicted for mutiny.

He said, “No democratically elected president in Nigeria has ever signed a warrant for the execution of anybody since 1960. He (Buhari) has repeatedly expressed concern over the collapse of the military institution and the war in the North-East.

“He has said the prosecution of the war on terror will be reviewed, that implies that the entire operations will have to be reviewed.”

Falana represented some of the 66 soldiers sentenced to death for conspiracy, cowardice and mutiny in 2014.

According to him, the Nigerian government had failed to adequately equip the units fighting the insurgency in the North-East.

While also speaking to the BBC’s Newsday programme, he said: “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.”

“The sentences are awaiting confirmation but we are taking steps to ensure that no soldier, no officer in Nigeria is executed on account of the negligence of the Nigerian state in motivating the soldiers to fight and equip them.”

Falana also revealed that President Goodluck Jonathan “had refused to grant the request of the convicted soldiers to review their matter.”

“So happily the incoming government of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has promised to review the entire operations in the North-East region and we are confident that the cases of the officers and the soldiers will be reviewed so that justice will be done to them.”

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