Boko Haram: Pardon for colonels, majors, others stalled

Against the backdrop of the pardon granted 3, 032 soldiers by the Chief of  the Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, following the recommendations of the review panel set up by the Army High Command, Sunday Vanguard has learnt that colonels, majors and several other commissioned officers, sentenced alongside  the soldiers, were left out because  only the Army Council, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, can pardon them.
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Besides, several other soldiers were  said to have been left out because they were involved in criminal cases categorized by the authorities as stealing, selling of  information to Boko Haram, which resulted in the death of  their colleagues through ambushes, fraudulent practices, and professional misconduct.
These disclosures were made by military sources following Sunday Vanguard’s investigations into why over 2, 000 officers and soldiers, whose cases were also considered, failed to benefit from the Major General Adeniyi Oyebade  review panel.
It was further learnt that many of those who were denied pardon  included soldiers who abandoned their uniforms, and service rifles unprofessionally, to the extent that when Boko Haram insurgents carried out surprise attacks on  military bases, these weapons easily became handy for their use.
“There is a group of soldiers that also absconded  even before fighting started in some instances. These situation caused confusion for some commanders. Investigations later showed that such soldiers or officers simply came into the military because they were job seekers who didn’t appreciate what it meant to join the army. They were not ready to sacrifice and defend the territorial integrity of their nation”, a senior officer  said.