The threat of instituting a legal action against the army authorities may have worked as the Nigerian Army has converted the sentence of dismissal passed on a former Commander of the Multi National Joint Task Force, Enitan Ransome-Kuti, by a Special Court Martial on October 15, 2015 to demotion.
He is now demoted from the rank of brigadier-general to colonel.
This is contained in a letter by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, containing the decision of the Army Council on Ransome-Kuti’s case.
The letter dated March 1, 2016, which was signed on behalf of the COAS by Col. O.N Taiwo, also directed that Ransome-Kuti be immediately released from custody.
This followed a threat of legal action issued by Ransome-Kuti’s lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in a letter dated February 26 and addressed to the COAS.
Falana in the letter demanded immediate release of his client whom he said had completed the six months imprisonment passed on him last October.
But the Chief of Army Staff’s letter dated March 1 stated that the Army took its decision to reverse part of the verdict of the court martial on Ransome-Kuti at its meeting on February 22.
The former MNJTF commander was arraigned on three counts of failure to perform military duties and miscellaneous offences relating to service property.
After his trial he was discharged and acquitted on count 1.
He was found guilty of count 2 following which he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army and sentenced to six months imprisonment.
