Former Seaman Abbas Haruna discharged from Navy for defying a superior officer’s orders

The Defence Headquarters has announced the sentencing of former Seaman Abbas Haruna after his conviction on three charges: disobedience, resisting arrest, and offenses related to misuse of public service property.

The Military General Court-Martial delivered the sentence after a thorough trial, which resulted in a demotion and a dishonorable dismissal from service. CONTINUE READING>>>

Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, made this announcement during a media briefing on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

Haruna, with service number N-5759, was found guilty of violating several sections of the Armed Forces Act, CAF 820, Laws of the Federation, 2004, which regulate the conduct of military personnel.

The charges against Haruna were based on an incident that took place during a parade at a conference for troops involved in Exercise Iyam Akpatuma.

Brigadier General Gusau stated that Haruna interrupted the commanding officer during his speech, refusing to follow orders to stand down.

When asked to comply, Haruna escalated the situation by resisting arrest and firing 16 rounds of ammunition, putting his fellow soldiers’ lives at risk.

This act of indiscipline led to an immediate investigation, after which Haruna was recommended to face trial by court-martial.

The trial, which spanned from December 20, 2022, to February 7, 2023, resulted in Haruna being found guilty of all charges.

He was convicted for breaking Section 56, Subsection 1, Section 86, Subsection 1, and Section 66, Subsection C of the Armed Forces Act, which deal with disobedience, resisting arrest, and improper use of military property.

For the first charge, Haruna was demoted from Seaman to Ordinary Seaman.

For the second and third charges—resisting arrest and using ammunition without permission—he was dismissed dishonorably from the Navy, with the dismissal effective from February 7, 2023.

During the trial, Haruna was defended by lawyers Barristers Chukwu N. Augustine and Goji Esquire.

Haruna initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty, causing a shift in the trial process. Despite his guilty plea, the prosecution presented solid evidence, including witness testimonies and physical exhibits, to support the charges.

Brigadier General Gusau noted that the evidence against Haruna was overwhelming.

“The court-martial found him guilty of all three charges. His offenses—disobedience, resisting lawful arrest, and improper use of military resources—were proven beyond any doubt,” he said. CONTINUE READING>>>

After the verdict, Haruna was held under open arrest at Magadishu Cantonment, awaiting the final confirmation of his sentence.

During this time, Haruna’s family was allowed to visit him, as confirmed by Brigadier General Gusau during the briefing.

The sentence was officially confirmed by the Chief of Naval Staff, with an effective date of September 19, 2024.