Why the Nigerian Army actually retired 38 senior officers

– Not too long ago, the Nigerian Army authority retired some generals, colonels and others saying they were involved in unethical practices.

– This report however discovers a different reason the 38 officers were sent away and why they are now in court against the Army.

On June 9, 2016, the Nigerian Army suddenly retired 38 senior officers and days later, the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, was quoted in a statement as saying that the affected officers were sent packing in relation to arms procurement fraud and professional misconduct during the 2015 elections.

Premium Times says it has now discovered the actual reasons at least 22 of the senior soldiers were laid off by the Army authorities without query or indictment by any panel.

The affected senior officers want to be reinstated
The report said the reasons were found in some official documents filed by the Army in court.
It states that Major-General Nwokoro Ijioma (N/8304) was accused of illegal sale of 17 military vehicles, while Major-General Ohifeme Ejemai (N/8340 and Brigadier-General and AS Saad (N/8392) were compulsorily retired for fraud and money laundering.

The documents also revealed that Brigadier-General LM Bello (N/8799) was retired for arms procurement (fraud)/ distortion and partisanship while three other Brigadier Generals, A Onibasa (N/9072), D Abdulsalam (N/9165) and Idam Agachi (N/8780) were retired because they engaged in acts of corruption.

Agachi also had money laundering attached to his alleged offence while Colonels Peter Ekpeyong (N/8730), OU Nwankwo (N/9678), Feyisetan Kayode (N/9344), MA Suleiman (N10030) and Tobiah Minimah (N/10185), were affected by alleged indiscipline like Lt Colonels, DB Dazang (N/10414) and TE Arigbe (N/10416).

Tobiah Minimah, a brother of a former Army Chief, Kenneth Minimah, according to Premium Times, was allegedly involved in election issues Colonels DR Hassan (N/9909), CK Ukoha (N/10319) and Timothy Oladuntoye (N/10338).
Colonels Chinonye Amadi (N10359), OA Ochankpa (N/10419), KO Adimoha (N/10421) A Mohammed (N/10659) and Abubakar Mohammed (N/10662) were reportedly accused of involvement in election matters.

Currently, 22 of the dismissed officers are said to have taken the Army to court since they were not made to face any disciplinary panel before they were axed. They have even written to President Muhammadu Buhari complaining that Army authorities breached laws in ending their careers abruptly.

The report quoted one of the affected officers as saying the charges are new to them.
“Nobody ever mentioned it or accused any of us, at least not me, before we were dismissed,” the military officer allegedly said.
The report listed the fifteen officers as Ijioma and Ejemai (Major Generals); Messrs. Saad, Bello, Abdulsalam, and Agachi (Brigadier Generals); Messrs Nwankwo, Minimah, Ukoha, Oladuntoye, and Suleiman (Colonels); and Messrs Ochankpa, Adimoha, A. Mohammed, and Abubakar Mohammed (Lieutenant Colonels).