Brig-Gen Enitan Ransome-Kuti
Fela’s nephew among 162 prisoners pardoned by Buhari
While all attention was on the controversial release of former Taraba and Plateau states’ governors, it has now emerged that the nephew of late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Enitan, also among the 162 prisoners granted pardon by President Muhammadu Buhari, last Thursday.
Buhari, after presiding over a meeting of the National Council of State, announced pardon for 162 prisoners, Thursday.
Two former state governors, Joshua Dariye of Plateau and Jolly Nyame of Taraba were beneficiaries of the pardon, after being convicted for fraud, a move roundly condemned by various rights activists.
Enitan Anikulapo-Kuti, an ex- Brigadier-General with the Nigerian Army, was court-marshalled along with 60 other officers over what the Army described as ‘cowardice.’
Brigadier-General Enitan was the former military Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force in Borno who alleged deserted from combat operations.
General Enitan had denied the charges, as he claimed his command was denied of arms to confront the Boko Haram insurgents in Baga, Borno State.
Enitan Ransome-Kuti was arrested in early 2015 and tried by the special court-martial and later punished for his “failure to perform military duties.” He was sente
nced to six months imprisonment and a reduction in rank from Brigadier-General to Colonel.
He was also dismissed from the army after his conviction in 2015, but was pardoned on compassionate grounds.
However, following intervention by his lawyer, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN, who also represented over 60 soldiers at the Special Court Martial, through letters to have their punishments set aside, Enitan has had his punishment quashed.
The Army Council dcommute the death penalty imposed on the other 60 soldiers to 10 years jail term based on Mr. Falana’s letters.
Falana had argued that his clients’ conviction by the court-martial was baseless in the face of evidence that they were deprived of arms to fight at the peak of the Boko Haram war.
Speaking, Saturday, Falana said the implication of the pardon is that Enitan now, 57, can return to service and regain his brigadier-general rank.
“With this pardon, the record of conviction of the other soldiers has been obliterated and can go back to service if they wish to,” Falana added
