Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
A Special Court Martial of the Operation Lafiya Dole has dismissed one of its personnel in the operation for raping and assaulting a 14-year-old girl at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Maiduguri.
President of the Court, Maj Gen Yakubu Aura, while pronouncing the dismissal of Flight Lt Martins Ewerem said the personnel erred by assaulting the 14- year-old Zara at an IDPs camp in Maiduguri.
“This honorable court has found Flight Lt. Martins Ewerem with NAF No 97701 as follows: the accused has been dismissed for been found guilty of count charge one; the court has discharged and acquitted the accused for count charge two, also the accused has been sentenced to reduced rank and loss of seniority for three years having been found guilty of count three charged,” Gen Auta declared.
He said the judgment of the court was subject to the confirmation of the higher military authority in line the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Having listened to the testimonies of the witnesses, testimony, and evidence of the medical worker, Mulikat Kareem, the court has found the accused guilty of count 1 charge, while because of the lack of substantial evidence, the court discharged and acquitted the accused of count 2 charge of disobedience to the standing order. However, the accused has been found guilty of count 3 charge of assault, as testified by the accused in his personal testimony that he flogged the victim and inserted his hand into her Virginia and medical record brought to the court (point to that) ” the president said.
Reading the brief of the defense and prosecuting witnesses, Judge Advocate of the court, Captain Aminu Mairuwa said the accused of defiling a 14-year-old IDP on 29, September 2018, and was facing three count charges of defiling, assault and disobedience of standing order.
Fight Lt. Martins Ewerem was slammed with three-count charges of defiling and assaulting a 14-year-old girl at Bakassi IDPs camp in Maiduguri and disobedience to the army standing order.