29th December, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan has been called upon not to approve the death sentence passed on 54 soldiers found guilty of mutiny recently.
Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Lagos, made the call while pleading with President Jonathan to apply the prerogative of mercy to save the lives of the soldiers.
He said their execution would demoralise other soldiers who are waging war against Boko Haram insurgents in northeastern Nigeria.
Ayodele also said if Jonthan failed to to spare the lives of the soldiers, his re-election in 2015 could be seriously undermined.
Already, reports have it that the condemned soldiers are being starved by the military authorities as they await an uncertain fate.
Counsel to the condemned soldiers, Femi Falana (SAN), has described the sentencing of the soldiers as a miscarriage of justice.