Human rights lawyer, Tope Akinyode says Lance Corporal Martins Idakpini, the soldier detained for criticising Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has developed ulcer in Nigerian Army’s custody.
Idakpini has been in detention since his arrest on June 20 for shooting a viral video criticising President Muhammadu Buhari and Buratai’s handling of counterinsurgency operations in the North-East.
Reports say he was denied access to his family and legal representation for weeks, raising fears that the Army had killed him.
But Akinyode approached the Federal High Court to raise a fundamental rights enforcement suit on Idakpini’s behalf, and Justice A. I. Chikere ordered the army to immediately grant the soldier’s family and lawyer access to him.
The Herald learnt that several attempts by the lawyer to enforce the court ruling however failed, with the army refusing to grant Akinyode access to the detained soldier.
Premium Times, quoting Akinyode, reported that Idakpini has been moved to Sokoto State from Abuja to face a court martial believed to be scheduled for Monday, August 17.
Akinyode said that the army is “forcing a lawyer from within the military on Lance Corporal Martins in a desperate attempt to jeopardise the case and wrongly convict the detained soldier”.
He added that “Lance Corporal Martins has been brutalised and subjected to a great deal of dehumanising treatment. He was also denied food and has therefore developed Ulcer”.
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Premium Times further quoted army spokesman, Sagir Musa as declining comments on the detained soldier’s ordeal.