Femi Falana, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, recently disclosed his law firm's instrumental role in preventing the wrongful execution of 70 soldiers who had been convicted of mutiny and sentenced to death by two separate court-martials in 2014. In a letter reported by Vanguard, Falana emphasized that the soldiers were unjustly accused of mutiny for simply demanding adequate weaponry to effectively combat insurgency in the North East region. He further detailed his firm's extensive efforts, which not only included defending the 70 soldiers but also providing legal representation for two Generals and other officers implicated in the case.
According to Falana, his law firm's intervention was key in unveiling a clandestine operation aimed at concealing corrupt practices among senior military officials. These officials had allegedly embezzled funds earmarked for the procurement of arms and ammunition, exacerbating the already dire situation in the conflict-ridden region. By exposing this corruption, Falana and his team were able to shed light on the systemic issues plaguing the Nigerian military, particularly in its efforts to combat insurgency.
While expressing the gravity of the situation, Falana stressed the significance of their legal defense, stating that it effectively thwarted the Nigerian State's agenda to unjustly end the lives of the convicted soldiers. He reiterated that the soldiers had not committed mutiny but rather advocated for the essential resources needed to carry out their duties effectively. This defense strategy, spearheaded by Falana's law firm, aimed to rectify the miscarriage of justice perpetrated against the soldiers and restore their rights.
Falana emphasized the broader implications of their successful defense efforts, noting that it not only secured justice for the wrongfully accused soldiers but also exposed the underlying systemic issues within the military establishment. He called for reforms to address these issues and ensure that similar injustices are not repeated in the future.
Hear him: "Our law firm successfully frustrated the plan of the neocolonial Nigerian State to waste the lives of 70 soldiers who were convicted and sentenced to death for mutiny by two courts-martial in 2014. As they did not commit mutiny by demanding adequate weapons to enable them to carry out the counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast zone, we decided to defend majority of them".