The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 division, of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Major General Hakeem Otiki on Tuesday rejected Lieutenant General Lamidi Adeosun to preside over a Court Marshal set up to try him.
The former GOC is being tried for alleged theft of N400million.
He made this known through his lawyer, Retired Major Femi Oyebanji, who said General Adeosun presiding over the Court Marshal will prejudice his case and not ensure a fair trial.
Among other reasons, counsel to General Otiki said it’s a fact that the defendant conducted several operations that were directly under the office of the President of the Court Marshal, Adeosun which are operations that will come up during the trial.
According to the counsel, this makes the President an interested party.
He also added that the defendants inherited the soldiers that were under the command of the President when he was in charge of Division 8 and some of those soldiers will come up as witnesses on the case.
He, therefore, asked the President to recuse himself from the trial.
Major-general Otiki is alleged to have ordered five soldiers to escort the sum of N400 million from Sokoto to Kaduna State to a Very Important Person (VIP).
The said soldiers were alleged to have absconded with the money.
Journalists were later sent out during the trial when the prosecutor was making his submission.
So, as at the time of filing this report, it is not clear whether the President of the Court Marshal will recuse himself or not.
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