54 Nigerian Soldiers Sentenced to Death for Mutiny

Soldiers accused of refusing to fight in the country's
northeastern Islamic uprising appear before a court-martial
in Abuja, Nigeria, Oct. 15, 2014.
A Nigerian army court has sentenced 54 soldiers to
death for refusing to fight the militant group Boko Haram.
The soldiers were charged with mutiny and cowardice after
they refused orders in August to help retake three towns
held by the Islamist militants in northeastern Borno state.
A lawyer for the men, Femi Falana, said Wednesday that five
other soldiers tried in the court-martial had been acquitted.
The convicted soldiers, all members of the army's 7th
Division, based in Maiduguri, are to be executed by firing
squad.
Nigerian soldiers have complained that they are outgunned
by Boko Haram and that they are often sent into battle
without adequate supplies.
The militants have seized a string of towns in Borno and
Adamawa states this year, and their leader, Abubakar
Shekau, has declared an Islamic caliphate in the region.
Another group of 12 Nigerian soldiers was sentenced to
death in September for mutiny and attempted murder of
their commanding officer.
There has been no word on when any of the death sentences would be carried out.