Twelve Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death for mutiny

Twelve Nigerian soldiers were sentenced to death for mutiny and the attempted murder of a general, military officials said Tuesday.

Soldiers from the 7th Division shot their commander, Major General Ahmed Mohammed, in mid-May in Maiduguri, the capital of the north-eastern state of Borno, a military tribunal in the capital, Abuja, found.

The junior officers revolted after accusing Mohammed of negligence during an ambush by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram in Maiduguri that led to the death of dozens of soldiers.

The 12 soldiers are to be executed by firing squad. The court did not specify when the sentences would be carried out.

One other soldier was sentenced to 28 days in prison and hard labour while five were acquitted because of a lack of evidence.

The 7th Division is at the forefront of fighting Boko Haram. The terrorist group, whose name means "Western education is sinful," has killed more than 3,000 people in Nigeria's north to far this year alone.

When it first launched attacks in 2009, Boko Haram mainly targeted Christians under the pretext of wanting to establish an Islamic state, but since mid-2013, Boko Haram has focused its attacks on government security agents as well as civilians of both Christian and Muslim faiths in their homes, markets, hospitals and schools.