Army general jailed after losing battle and weapons

A Nigerian general has been dismissed from the army and jailed for losing a major battle in which Boko Haram Islamic extremists killed hundreds of civilians, the military said on Saturday.

Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti - a nephew of Afrobeat music legend Fela Ransome-Kuti - was sentenced to six months in jail for losing weapons to Boko Haram, army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said. He was dismissed from the military for "failure to perform military duties."

A court-martial on Thursday found Ransome-Kuti not guilty of cowardice and that he was right to retreat in the face of Boko Haram's superior numbers and firepower.