Wives of Nigerian soldiers currently held in detention have made a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to grant their husbands amnesty in the spirit of national reconciliation.
The women, numbering over 30, alongside their children, staged a peaceful gathering at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Maiduguri on Wednesday. They argued that if amnesty could be extended to repentant terrorists and bandits, then soldiers who once defended the nation deserved a second chance.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mrs Rose Emmanuel David lamented that some of the soldiers had been in custody at the 7 Division Military Police facility in Maiduguri for over a year. She noted that their prolonged detention had thrown families into dire hardship, leaving many wives to take up menial jobs to fend for their children and keep them in school.
“Our husbands admit their mistakes and are willing to return with renewed loyalty to the Nigerian Army,” she said. “We are appealing to President Tinubu, the National Assembly, Governor Babagana Zulum, and all Nigerians of goodwill to stand with us in seeking mercy.”
She stressed that the detained personnel were once frontline fighters in the battle to secure the nation, insisting that compassion towards them would restore their dignity and rebuild trust between soldiers and the people they serve.
The plea comes on the heels of recent convictions by a Special Court Martial in Maiduguri, which found several officers and men guilty of offences ranging from arms racketeering to aiding the enemy.
The women expressed optimism that the Independence anniversary period would inspire a gesture of forgiveness, paving the way for their husbands to return home and reunite with their families.
