Please Pardon our condemned 60 soldiers, TUC begs Minimah

The Trade Union Congress has appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, to have mercy on soldiers of the Nigerian Army who were sentenced to death by firing squad

for various offences in relation to the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the North-East.
A total of 60 soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad by military court martials for mutiny, conspiracy to commit mutiny, and other grave offences.
The President and Secretary General of the TUC, Messrs Bala Kaigama and Musa Lawal, respectively, said in a statement on Thursday that the sanctity of justice would not be desecrated if mercy was shown to the said soldiers.
“The Congress wishes to also appeal to the Federal Government and the military authorities to temper justice with mercy on the soldiers that were condemned some months ago.
“Justice, they say, serves a better societal purpose when tempered with mercy. And indeed the quality of mercy is not strained. It is twice blessed. It blesses he that gives and he that takes.”
Kaigama and Lawal also urged the Army Chief to ensure that the promise he made to victorious troops during his visit to Baga that all soldiers who participated in the liberation of the headquarters of the Multi-National Joint Task Force would be given automatic promotion.
They said the promise made by the Army Chief would go a long way in boosting the morale of troops involved in the ongoing operation.
The labour leaders called on the leadership of the various security agencies involved in the counter terrorism operation to emulate the action of the COAS.