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Army moves soldier who criticised Buratai to Sokoto for court-martial

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Lance Corporal Martins Idakpini, the soldier who was detained for criticizing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Tukur Buratai, has been moved to Sokoto State for trial in a military court.

Idakpini’s lawyer, Tope Akinyode, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, said the soldier was being maltreated in custody despite his failing health condition.

The soldier was arrested in June for criticising the army chief poor handling of the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, had in July ordered the army to grant Idakpini access to his wife, lawyer and relatives.

The court had also prohibited the military from further violating the soldier’s fundamental human rights in an unlawful manner.

READ ALSO: Court orders Nigerian Army to allow soldier who criticised Buratai see wife, lawyer

Akinyode said: “Information reaching me right now indicates that Lance Corporal Martins has been surreptitiously moved from Abuja to Sokoto to be tried before a Martial Court on Monday.

“I’m also informed that the army is forcing a lawyer from within the force on Lance Corporal Martins in a desperate attempt to jeopardise the case and wrongly convict the detained soldier.

“Lance Corporal Martins has been brutalised and subjected to a great deal of dehumanising treatment. He was also denied food and has therefore developed ulcer.

“We wrote the AGF and Chief of Army Staff to notify them of the court order. I also called the AGF on phone and he assured me the court order would be obeyed. But myself and Lance Corporal Martins’ wife visited the army headquarters thrice to see my client, but we were blocked.”

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