The BringBackOurGirls coalition has expressed excitement over President Buhari’s directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe how funds meant for equipping the military was misappropriated.
The BBOG spokesman, Tunji Olanrewaju, called on the government to bring the full weight of the law to bear on anyone indicted for diversion of the arms fund.
He stated that the group had just rounded off a candle light procession in honour of fallen soldiers, adding that BBOG members also participated in an event commemorating the Armed Forces Remembrance Day organised by retired and serving soldiers in Abuja.
Olanrewaju stated that in the light of the revelation that some former senior military chiefs diverted money meant for arming the military, the government should therefore pardon the soldiers convicted for mutiny.
He called on President Buhari to exercise his prerogative of mercy and pardon the convicted soldiers whose conviction had been commuted to 10 years in prison.
He argued that the convicted soldiers were right not to go and engage Boko Haram insurgents with bare hands, describing this as a suicide mission.
He said, “On the directive of the president, everybody in the BBOG was excited. The people that misappropriated the money meant for purchase of the arms should not only be made to refund it, they should also serve prison terms. The full weight of the law should be brought upon them.
“On the soldiers convicted for mutiny, we are appealing to the government to exercise discretion; the president should exercise his prerogative of mercy and pardon those soldiers who were convicted for mutiny, whose sentences were commuted to 10 years.
“In the light of the revelation of the diversion of money meant for resourcing and equipping the military, we expect that the president would consider this and overlook the offence the soldiers may have committed. We feel that the officers were right–they were under-armed, they were sent to go and die.”
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