Defence Headquarters, DHQ, is to harmonise court martial procedures across the services in line with the justice system.
The Chief Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, said this yesterday at the opening of the conference on ‘Rules of Procedure, Substance Abuse and Sexual Orientation in the Armed Forces of Nigeria’ in Abuja.
Musa, represented by the Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Admiral Monday Unurhere, said Nigeria’s contemporary operating environment is confrnted with multiple administrative challenges with telling consequences for military effectiveness.
According to him, given that discipline is the bedrock of the military, DHQ’s response to these challenges, especially in relation to how we regulate the conduct of personnel requires added impetus.
“Accordingly, it jumped at this opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach to harmonise the Rules of Procedure for court martial, addressing issues of substance abuse and homosexuality within the Services.
“Notably, differences in extant Rules of Procedure for administration of justice in the armed forces create inconsistencies in the administration of military justice.
“These inconsistencies are further deepened by fragmentation and obsolescence of aspects of the rules.
“Consequently, it has become expedient to review the extant Rule of Procedure with a view to eliminate conflicts by harmonising the application of justice and enforcement of discipline in the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” he said.
Musa said the military was not spared from growing global debates on substance abuse and homosexuality, adding that the twin issues had massive negative effects on morale and operational effectiveness.
He expressed confidence that the conference would foster engaging dialogues, vibrant exchange of ideas towards generating bespoke and enduring solutions that would strengthen justice and discipline within the military.
The Director of Legal Services (Army), Lieutenant-Colonel SO Okebukola, in his presentation, said the Nigerian Army relies on imported Royal British Army rules to court martial personnel.
Okebukola, represented by the Chief of Staff, Legal Services, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwudi Okonkwo, said some obsolete materials imported were not applicable to the Nigerian criminal justice system.
He recommended that all references to obsolete foreign materials not suitable to the Nigerian criminal justice system should be expunged and replaced with pertinent policies relevant to Nigeria’s military criminal justice system.
“Plea bargaining procedure should be incorporated into the Rules of Procedure,” he said. (NAN)
