Nigerian: six people face firing squad.

A military tribunal sitting in the Nigerian town of Jos has sentenced six people including the former second in command to the Nigerian leader Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya to death by firing squad.

The five soldiers and a civilian were among 26 others charged with plotting to overthrow the Nigerian military government. The head of the Military tribunal, General Victor Malu, who is also the former ECOMOG Force commander in Liberia, responding to Lieutenant General Diya's defence that people at the very top framed him said it was not necessary to know who had initiated the conspiracy.

He noted that all Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya had to do was prove that he had not been part of the plot at any stage. Meanwhile a cross section of people JOYFM's news team spoke to in Accra expressed apprehension at the verdict saying General Abacha this time round should temper justice with mercy and at least commute the death sentence to a lighter punishment.

Most of our respondents said for General Abacha whose image has already dipped in the eye of the international community, and with allegations of human rights abuses against his government, executing Lieutenant General Diya and the others would worsen not only the image of Nigeria but Africa as a whole.

But, Ghana's Minister for National Security, Mr. Totobi Quakyi said that it is too early for the Ghana government to make any comments adding that the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria will brief the government after which it will be able to make any pronouncements.