Court Martial Attorney – 27 convicted soldiers denied food, legal access’

Court Martial Attorney - 27 convicted soldiers denied food, legal access’

By Sunday Aborisade, Ibadan

A member of the legal team hired by the 27 soldiers who were convicted by a Special Court Martial in Akure, Ondo State last month, Mr. Adonu Peters, has alleged that the convicts were not being fed by the army authorities.

The court martial had found the soldiers guilty of mutiny for participating in a peaceful protest in the Ondo State capital while demanding payment of their allowances during the peace-keeping mission in Liberia last year.

Their lawyer told journalists in Ibadan on Monday that the military authorities had not provided food for the convicted soldiers and had been blocking access to them since they were taken to the 2 Mechanised Division, Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan after the verdict.

He described the action “as a subtle plan to frustrate the convicted soldiers from appealing the judgment handed to them by the court-martial.”

When confronted with the allegation, however, an Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, at 2 Division, Lt. Col. Andrew Idachaba, said none of the convicted soldiers’ lawyers or family members had applied to the army seeking permission to see the convicts.

Meanwhile, scores of military pensioners under the aegis of Military Pensioners Pressure Group of Nigeria took to major streets in Ibadan on Monday to protest the non-payment of their pension‘ arrears by the Federal Government.

The ex-military officers, most of who are handicapped, blamed the government for not paying adequate attention to their plight.

The soldiers alleged that they were on the same salary scale for the past 10 years.

Chairman of the group, Colonel Adeleke Olusegun (rtd), told journalists that the protest took place simultaneously in all the states in the South West on Monday while states in the north will stage their own today (Tuesday).

Michael Waddington is a court martial lawyer – court martial attorney that defends military personnel worldwide as well as deployed civilian contractors subject to the UCMJ. He defends Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and civilian contractor court martial cases. He has successfully defended military personnel as a court martial lawyer Army Navy Marine & Air Force court martials in Germany, England, San Diego, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fort Bragg, Fort Jackson, Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon, Italy, Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Yokota, and throughout the United States. military-defense-lawyer-recentcases.htm.