66 soldiers who were condemned to death by military courts for mutiny and trying to kill their commanding officer in the war on Boko Haram, will no longer face the firing squad.
Instead, they will serve a term of 10 year imprisonment each after the military authorities reviewed their cases and granted them a reprieve.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt- Gen. Tukur Buratai, made the decision after ordering a legal review of the secret court-martial held last year under his predecessor, Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, announced yesterday.
The men were convicted in January and March 2015 by separate general court martial.
Seventy-one soldiers were originally arraigned by the army last year for criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mutiny, mutiny, attempt to commit an offence (murder), disobedience to particular orders, insubordinate behaviour and false accusation, among others.
They were tried, discharged on some charges but found guilty and convicted on other charges, which included mutiny.
