Army Bars Journalists From Covering Mutiny Trials

The military authorities, acting on the part of caution, have brought to a halt the openness and media coverage of the ongoing trial of 59 soldiers for mutiny and other related offences committed during their counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency  operations against Boko Haram insurgence in the North-east.

The change was conveyed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Nigerian Army Headquarters Garrison, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, who excused journalists at the trial venue to explain the reasons for the stringent measures.

However, before Yusuf made the decision known to members of the media Thursday, proceedings at the General Court Martial presided over by Brig. Gen. Musa Yusuf had already commenced with the prosecution  presenting its second witness for cross-examination of the Second-in-Command of the 111 Special Forces Battalion, Capt. Isah Saleh.

While testifying before journalists were told to leave, Saleh, being  led in evidence by a prosecution lawyer, Capt. Roseline Agwai, detailed how the event of August 3 this year, at Muleh Secondary/Primary School, Maiduguri, transpired.

In his explanations, he supported the testimony made on Wednesday by the Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Lt. Col. Opurum, who accused the soldiers of refusing to advance to an operation in Delwa.

He also laid emphasis on the import of soldiers’ deployment,  strength of the battalion, the nature of the special forces and what differentiated them from regular soldiers, troops’ conduct and other areas that have to do directly with the ongoing operation.

In his revelation, Sali said the soldiers being tried for mutiny were his soldiers and that they were inducted into the 'Operation Zamin Lafia' on September 19, and detached from 101 battalion into the 111 special forces unit.

He stated further that the special forces unit comprised soldiers who had been trained specially in some aspect compared to conventional soldiers.

Saleh stated: "On August 3, the Commanding Officer was called from the 7th Division, on reaching there, he called me on the impending task on ground that I should arranged the soldiers that are physically fit for the operation and those who are not."

He added that he proceeded as ordered, and that the numbers of men that were fit for the operation were four officers and 98 soldiers.

"The soldiers were asked to fall in for the briefing of the commanding officer, but only few of them fell in before he came back from Maiduguri."

Sali stressed that on his return, he had to called on the soldiers himself by going into their trenches but the situation remained the same; "in a nut shell, 29 of the soldiers and four officers were willing to go for the operation."

He revealed that most of the vehicles they left with for the operation were empty, stressing that most of the drivers of the vehicles refused to drive which prompted him with a gunshot wound on his leg with three other officers to drive.

Saleh said the operation went smoothly without any casualty.

Consequently, it was during this period which brought out a lot of operational and intelligence details that GCM took the decision to make it a close trial.

  Speaking with journalists on the new development, the Army Garrison spokesman said some of the information released during the trial process was inimical to national security and dangerous to the whole counter-terrorism operations against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.

Having explained the implications of the open trial, Yusuf appealed to the media and members of the public for understanding, saying "sensitive information was being released on the ongoing counter terrorism operation in the North-east.

"It was against national security and national interest for the revelations in the court concerning an ongoing operation to be reported."

Such action, he warned, could give intelligence to the enemies of the Nigerian army and indeed the society and some damages to the operation.

Aliyu Yusuf said: “Let me make an appeal that we have covered the charges for this trial Thursday; there is nothing new that they would be charged for; if there is another trial, we will definitely send for you.

“As it is, the issues being discussed by the witnesses involve an ongoing operation. This is not healthy; it is harmful to national security…”

He however promised that the media would be contacted if the GCM starts the trial of the remaining  set of  22 soldiers and 15 officers.

The latest decision of GCM reversed the decision of the presiding officer Brig-Gen Yusuf, who had promised during his inaugural address two weeks ago to throw the court open for effective and maximum media coverage.

Nevertheless, he said the media must be patriotic enough to allow the interest of national security to prevail.