Martins Idakpini, a lance corporal who was arrested and detained for criticising chief of army staff Tukur Buratai, has been granted bail after 7 months in detention.
The soldier was arrested and detained in Abuja after a video which was made in June 2020 went viral. In the video, he accused Buratai of poorly managing the fight against insurgency.
Tope Akinyode, the soldier’s lawyer confirmed the new development in a statement on Thursday, January 14.
He said a court martial sitting in Sokoto State ordered that Idakpini be released on bail.
Court martial is a judicial process used to try members of the armed forces accused of offences.
He said;
Court martial grants bail to Lance Corporal Martins Idakpini. The court sitting in Sokoto made the order today after I argued the bail application.
Idakpini was arrested for criticising army authorities. He’s been detained for 7 months without access to his family.
In July, a federal high court in Abuja ordered the army to grant Idakpini access to his wife, lawyer and relatives.
The court also prohibited the military from further violating the soldier’s fundamental human rights in any unlawful manner.
