A General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has sentenced a soldier, Lance Corporal Babangida Ibrahim, to 55 years in prison for culpable homicide, theft and housebreaking.
Ibrahim was accused of robbing and killing one Bello Abdullahi Aliyu, a World Health Organisation (WHO) worker, in Gidan Darib, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State on August 11, 2014.
The court held that the convict, as a member of Operation Mesa fighting banditry in Zamfara State, shot and killed Abdullahi at about 10pm on the said date.
He also broke into the deceased apartment at Gidan-Dari, Anka LGA, stole his Gionee E3 phone and a Nokia handset, after which he took latter’s Honda Accord car containing one laptop computer and N6,000.
When arraigned, Ibrahim pleaded guilty to all four counts preferred against him.
Delivering the judgment, the President of the Court, Major General Priye Fakrougha, said, “Having listened to the plea of litigation of the Defence Counsel and the submission of the Prosecution Counsel, this General Court Martial finds the accused soldier guilty as he earlier pleaded of all the four-count charges.
“In this particular case before this court, there is no amount of sentence that will be commensurate to the life that has already been lost.
“Therefore, this General Court Martial, having found the accused soldier 2008/NA/61/2672, Lance Corporal Babangida Ibrahim, guilty as he earlier pleaded, hereby sentence him as follows:
“Count one on culpable homicide not punishable with death contrary to and punishable under Section 224 of the Penal Code CAP P3, Laws of the Federation 2004 be awarded 40 years of imprisonment.
“Count two offence of housebreaking contrary to and punishable under Section 110 of the Armed Forces Act is awarded five years imprisonment.”
Ibrahim also got five years for the third and fourth offences, which will run concurrently with the second.
Meanwhile, the sentence was subject to confirmation by the Nigerian Army.
Members of the GCM included Brigs. Gen. J. Ochai, P. Pearse, E. Ikomi, A. Okpodu, S. Makulo; Cols. M. Ibrahim, L. Abubakar, M. Yusuf and the Judge Advocate, Capt. K. Ogili.
The Prosecution Council for the Nigerian Army was led by Maj. Dipreye Biambo while the Defence Counsel for the accused soldier was led by Felix Jimba.
Fakrougha therefore advocated the need for members of the Armed Forces to adhere strictly to rules and regulations in and out of uniform, stressing that defaulters will be made to take responsibility for their actions.