Civil offences: Navy begins court-martial of 13 officers

Thirteen persons consisting of officers of the Nigerian Navy on Friday appeared before a court-martial panel over offences bordering on economic sabotage.

The naval personnel included a captain, commanders, lieutenant commanders and a sub-lieutenant.

The others were ratings, including a female alleged to have connived with others to commit the offence.

Saturday PUNCH however gathered that the officers were arrested in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, as the navy vowed to flush economic saboteurs out of the service.

The President of the general court-martial, Rear Admiral Zakariyyah Muhammad, who spoke at the inauguration of the proceedings at the Western Naval Command Officers Mess, Naval Base, Apapa, Lagos, said the court-martial comprised experienced officers who would administer justice.

He said, “The general court-martial is part of the military justice system employed to try military personnel and it is based on the judicial principle that accused persons are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.

“In this wise, this general court-martial constituted under the authority of the Chief of the Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, is being inaugurated today, Friday, March 12 for the trial of 13 personnel for alleged service and civil offences.” Punch