By Habeeb Ibrahim
After years of legal battles, Major Akeem Aderogba Oseni has finally been exonerated as the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Nigerian Army seeking to reinstate his manslaughter conviction. The ruling puts an end to a prolonged legal struggle that had cast a shadow over his career.
The case originated in February 2017 when Oseni, along with three other officers—Major O. Osawe, Captain S. Amosu, and Lieutenant Dogary—was ordered to discipline Lance Corporal Benjamin Collins, who had attempted to escape from detention.
Rather than subject Collins to prolonged punishment, Oseni intervened shortly after the disciplinary process began. He halted the proceedings, counseled the soldier, and brought in a superior officer who further reprimanded Collins before returning him to detention.
Later that day, Oseni learned that Collins was struggling with his leg restraints. Acting quickly, he arranged for the soldier to be taken to the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre. Unfortunately, Collins was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Following the incident, a court-martial was convened, leading to Oseni’s conviction for manslaughter. On February 7, 2020, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Meanwhile, Captain Amosu was acquitted, and the other two officers were later cleared by the Army Council in November 2020.
Oseni challenged his conviction at the Court of Appeal, which overturned the ruling, declaring him innocent of the charges. However, the Nigerian Army refused to accept the judgment and took the case to the Supreme Court, seeking to have the conviction reinstated.
In a significant legal misstep, the Army failed to complete the appeal process by not submitting the required documents within the given timeframe. This procedural failure led the Supreme Court to dismiss the case entirely.
Delivering judgment on February 12, 2025, Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji ruled:
“The application filed on 9/10/2023 for an order dismissing this appeal due to failure to compile and transmit the record of appeal is granted as prayed. The appeal No. SC/CR/948/2023 is hereby dismissed.”
With this decision, Oseni’s acquittal stands, and all legal proceedings against him have been conclusively resolved.
