COLONEL Victor  Ebhaleme the brigade commander of the 23 Armoured Brigade in Yola has been acquitted by a military court martial after being tried for negligence in relation to the fight against Boko Haram.  

During the trial which took place at the 9 Brigade officer’s mess, Ikeja Cantonment in Lagos, Col Enhaleme was accused of failing to ensure that support weapons approved for units under his brigade were collected. He was arraigned on a lone count charge of negligent performance of military duty under section 62b of the Armed Forces Act. 

He  was arraigned alongside 21 other officers including Brigadier JO Komolafe, on January 19 but the court martial found him innocent after it was discovered that there was no such approval for the weapons. According to Col Ebhaleme's defence team, he was never indicted during the entire investigation.

His counsel, Femi Oyebanji, a retired major, representing the Falana and Falana Chambers, made a no case submission at the close of the prosecution. According to Mr Oyebanji, essential elements to prove the charge were not established and he therefore urged the court to discharge and acquit the officer.

Subsequently, the general court martial headed by Major General  SD Aliyu, upheld a no case submission and subsequently discharged and acquitted  Col Ebhaleme. A different general court martial convened to try a Brigadier Enitan Ransome-Kuti and four other senior officers, blamed for the loss of Baga in Borno State in January, is expected to resume sitting next Thursday.

Brigadier Ransome-Kuti, his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel G A Suru, and some other senior officers, were arrested for failing to repel Boko Haram's attack on the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force in Baga. They are hoping for a similar outcome to Col Ebhaleme who has become the first publicly known senior officer cleared by the military in its trial of hundreds of soldiers accused of misdeeds in the fight against Boko Haram.