Supreme Court acquits Major convicted over soldier’s death

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Nigerian Army, which sought to reinstate the manslaughter conviction of Major Akeem Oseni following the death of a junior officer during a disciplinary incident.

Oseni had initially been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a General Court Martial on February 7, 2020, after Lance Corporal Benjamin Collins died in 2017. The incident occurred when Oseni, alongside Major O. Osawe, Captain S. Amosu, and Lieutenant Dogary, was directed to discipline Collins for allegedly attempting a jailbreak.

Court records revealed that Oseni ended the disciplinary session early, counseled Collins, and called in a superior officer who further reprimanded the soldier before ordering his return to detention.

Later, during routine checks, Oseni discovered that Collins was struggling with his leg restraints. He promptly alerted the officer in charge of the detention facility and transported Collins to the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead.

Following the incident, Oseni was convicted of manslaughter, while Captain Amosu was acquitted. The Army Council later discharged and acquitted Maj. Osawe and Lt. Dogary on November 24, 2020.

Unhappy with the conviction, Oseni appealed, and the Court of Appeal overturned the decision, declaring him innocent. However, the Nigerian Army escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to restore the initial ruling.

Despite filing the appeal, the Army failed to compile and submit the necessary records on time. As a result, the Supreme Court dismissed the case due to procedural issues.

Justice Uwani Aji, delivering the lead judgment, stated, “Application filed on 9/10/2023 for an order dismissing this appeal for failure to compile and transmit record of appeal is hereby granted as prayed. The said appeal No. SC/CR/948/2023 is hereby dismissed.”

Oseni’s legal team included David Ogundipe, Abdulwahab Abdulakeem, Aisha Okuribido, and Oluwafemi Oluwadamisi, who successfully defended his case through the appeals process.

(PUNCH)