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| Nigerian Army |
The Nigerian Army Tuesday inaugurated a military Court Martial to put on trial of the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division, Sokoto, Major Gen. Hakeem Otiki, over alleged disappearance of the sum of 400 million naira.
The Court Martial was conveyed by the Army at the Army Headquarters Officers Mess, Asokoro, Abuja at about 12.34pm and presided over by Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, who is the Chief of Policy and plans, Army Headquarters.
Gen. Otiki was brought into the Court in a white Military Ambulance. He was on a Wheel Chair.
The former GOC and some soldiers involved in the matter had been interrogated by the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Special Intelligence Bureau, and the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.
The names of Soldiers who allegedly ran away with the said money while on escort duty were Corporal Gabriel Oluwaniyi, Corporal Mohammed Aminu, Corporal Haruna, Olusoji Joshua and Hayatudeen.
The soldiers who were said to be on Escort Duty with a Very Important Person (VIP) allegedly absconded with the money while travelling from Sokoto to Kaduna.
However, there was a mild drama inside the Hall where the Court Martial was holding as the Lawyer representing Gen Otiki raised objection on the leadership/Chairman of the Court, saying his client would not get justice if Lt. Gen Adeosun sits as the Chairman.
Barrister Okechukwu Adinu who raised the objection on behalf of Gen. Otiki said Lt. Gen Adeosun should recused himself because โwe have strong feelings that he (Gen. Otiki) may not get good trial and fair trial under your leadership in this court hereโ.
Adinu explained that Otiki would not get fair trial particularly as some of the soldiers involved in the matter were security escorts he inherited from Lt. Gen Adeosun when he Otiki took over as Core Commander of the Army Infantry Corps.
Adinu also told the Court that Otiki entered the Nigerian Defence Academy ahead of Lt. Gen Adeosun and at a particular time he Otiki drilled Adeosun in the military tradition when he Adeosun committed an infraction.
He alleged that Adeosun was yet bearing the grudge against Otiki.
Adinu explained that from the relationship between the two from the beginning it was clear that there was an animosity which Adeosun had been nursing against Otiki as Adeosun refused to acknowledge or reply the text message Otiki sent to him recently when Adeosun was promoted to the rank of Lt. General.
Giving reasons why Lt. Gen Adeosun should recuse himself from presiding over the Court, Barrister Adinu said โWe have this strong feeling that he may not get a good trial and a fair trial under your leadership in this court here.
โThe reasons are as follows sir. It is a known fact that General Otiki got into Nigerian Defense Academy on 10th January 1983, while you got in on July 4, 1983, so he got in there before youโ.
โSir and itโs a fact that Gen Otiki here actually drilled you, he punished and drilled you, so we have this feeling that the grudge then is still there, more so. Sir, it is a known fact that Gen Otiki took over from you sir as the Core Commander Infantry last year and with due respect, by the time we go to the proper trial certain issues will still come upโ.
Adinu said by the time the issues are put at the front burner before the Court, it is certain that Lt. Gen. Adeosun would be mentioned or that reference would be made to him as some of the issues had to do with functions of the offices he held previously.โ
At this point, journalists were asked to leave the Hall where the Court martial was taking place. However as at the time of filing this report, details of the turn of events were still unfolding.
