A Nigeria Army Officer, Major Bello M. Magaji, accused of having sex with three secondary school boys,is to spend the next seven years behind bars, as the Supreme Court has upheld the verdict of the Army Court Martial that convicted him.
it was gathered yesterday that the army officer was jailed after a legal battle that lasted about four years. The scenario that led to the conviction of the Army Officer stated sometimes in 2004, when Magaji was arraigned before a court martial constituted by the military command, then headed by Brigadier- General Patrick N. Aziza.
The victims are three secondary school boys from Army cantonment Boys Secondary school, ojo. Their names were given as joseph, Emmanuel and Isaac. They were lured by one of their friends. Augustine Oscar Ayewa, an errand boy of Major Magaji.
In his evidence in-chief, joseph told the court martial that:” one friday evening, I was standing in my area when Oscar called me and said he will take me somewhere. I thought that he was joking. After taking my bathe, he gave me transport fare to go to the officers Mess at Camp One. ” He said he would meet me there as he had a contract to make some ridges. I didtn’t know he was luring me for another thing.
” When we entered Major Magaji’s house, they gave me a small bottle of stout. I said no as I had never tried it, but they insisted. After I finished drinking, I felt dizzy and the officer told me to go and lie down in his bedroom.
” Later, the officer came into the room and started romancing my body. I was thinking that this man is a senior officer, how can he be doing a thing like this but I was afraid to speak out. He told me to lie down on the floor and turn my back, but I refused. I told him I can’t do that. So, he brought a container of cream and said I should be rubbing the cream on his penis.
”After some time, I told him I had to go because it was getting late. He later gave me N1,500 and said I should give Oscar N500 for bringin me. I bought some things . Paid some dedt I was owing and bought a school uniform for myself,” Joseph concluded.