Mutiny: Hope rises for 70 soldiers on death row

The Nigerian army says it is reviewing all disciplinary actions recently taken against soldiers, but this does not necessarily mean the soldiers will be recalled.

At least 70 soldiers convicted by two separate general court martial in Abuja in 2014 are on death row.

The soldiers, previously stationed in Borno state, were convicted for mutiny and conspiracy to commit mutiny.

And recently, at least 100 soldiers were dismissed for varying cases of indiscipline.

The soldiers are among a pool dismissed for‎ indiscipline since the war against insurgency in 2009.

‎However, the army, through its spokesman, Sani Usman, a colonel, said the review should not be construed as a recall of the soldiers.

“The attention of the Nigeria army has been drawn to a correspondence making the rounds in some media regarding an administrative procedure to review some recent disciplinary cases in the Nigeria army,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

“For the avoidance of doubt it should be noted that the Nigerian army is reviewing all recent disciplinary cases due to the wave of litigation and petitions by some aggrieved personnel.

“The public should not misconstrue the recent directive to mean total recall of dismissed and deserter soldiers.”