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A military court in Abuja has freed an army Commander who had been standing trial over an offence committed during an operation against Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
The general court martial, sitting in Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja and presided over by Brigadier General M.S. Yusuf, on January 20, discharged and acquitted Lt Col Suleiman Saidu Tilawan, the former Commanding Officer of 103 Battalion on the charge of failure to follow channel of communication that was preferred against him. This came after the defence counsel made a no-case submission. After going through the prosecutor’s case, the court upheld the no case submission and consequently discharged and acquitted the officer.
Tilawan was in command of 103 Battalion of the Nigerian Army that was deployed at Konduga, a town of about 15 kilometres from Maiduguri, Borno State, where the recent battles against Boko Haram that led to the defeat of the insurgents took place. He was arraigned with 97 other soldiers on 18 September 2014.
The court martial also discharged Lt. Col DB Danzang and Lt. Col SU Abubakar. It had earlier sentenced 62 soldiers to death.