Nigeria's military court condemns 54 soldiers to death over mutiny

A Nigerian military court sitting in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday condemned 54 soldiers to death by firing squad, having found them guilty of mutiny in the West African country.

Trial of the military officers began mid-October after they allegedly disobeyed orders by their senior officers to join operations against Boko Haram in the northeastern state of Borno.

A two-count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny was, therefore, slammed on the soldiers. Four other soldiers were lucky, discharged and acquitted, having pleaded and found not guilty to the accusation.

The convicted soldiers were said to have committed mutiny against the authorities of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army on Aug. 4, in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.

The convicts were the second batch of mutinous soldiers condemned to death by military courts in Nigeria this year. Enditem