The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Lagos has ordered the Nigerian Army to reinstate 70 soldiers convicted by courts-martial in 2014 but later granted a presidential pardon by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a judgement delivered on July 20, Sanda Yelwa, the presiding judge, held that the unconditional pardon granted under section 175 of the 1999 Constitution wiped out the soldiers’ convictions, sentences and dismissals, restoring their legal status and entitling them to reinstatement.
The judgement was contained in a statement issued on Monday by Tayo Soyemi of Falana & Falana Chambers, solicitors to the claimants.
The suit, marked NICN/LA/54/2023, was filed by the 70 soldiers against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) after the military authorities allegedly failed to act on their request for reinstatement following the presidential pardon.
According to the statement, the claimants
