Hope Rises As UN Moves To Intervene In The Execution Of The 54 Soldiers For Mutiny..

The Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions, Christof Heyns, has stated that “appropriate action including communication to the government of President Goodluck Jonathan is being considered regarding the imminent execution of 54 soldiers in Nigeria.”

This followed a petition submitted to Mr. Heyns by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, in December 2014 in which the group asked five UN human rights independent experts to individually and jointly use their “good offices and positions to urgently request the Nigerian government and its military authorities not to carry out the mass death sentences imposed on 54 Nigerian soldiers for what the government claimed was disobeying a direct order from their commanding officer.”

The development was disclosed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni in a statement dated January 4 and According to Mr. Mumuni, “SERAP has been in discussion with Johel Dominique at the Office of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions both on the telephone and via email. Johel Dominique has confirmed that the Special Rapporteur is considering appropriate action to avert the imminent execution of 54 soldiers on death row in the country.

We have also confirmed to the Special Rapporteur that SERAP has the consent of Mr Femi Falana, SAN, the legal counsel to the 54 soldiers to file the petition.” “SERAP welcomes the decision by Mr. Christof Heyns to intervene in the matter. Given his longstanding human rights commitment and achievements, we have absolutely no doubt that Mr. Heyns will work assiduously to ensure that justice is done in this matter and we wish him well as he strives to do that,” Mr. Mumuni stated.