Injustice: As Nigerian Soldier was unjustly dismissed under Buhari
After A year, Nigerian soldiers unjustly dismissed by Buhari administration await justice
A year after, the Nigerian Army compulsory retired 38 officers, many of them the country’s brightest in internal and external security operations, but, ironically, forced out of service without recourse to the rules of disengagement in the Nigerian military.
Most of the affected officers were neither queried nor indicted by any panel, but got flushed out for reasons that smack of smack of high-level arbitrariness, witch-hunting and partisanship by authorities of the Army, a reason the victimised officers petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari in keeping with the armed forces rules to seek redress.
On June 9, 2016, in letters, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, to the affected officers, their compulsory retirement was hinged on “provisions of Paragraph 09.02c (4) of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers 2012 (Revised)”.
The referenced section – 09.02c (4) – of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers 2012 (Revised), shows the officers were laid off “on disciplinary grounds i.e. serious offence(s)”.
Emphasising “service exigencies” and that the “military must remain apolitical and professional at all times”, Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, on June 10, released a statement, disclosing what could have constituted the “serious offences” which warranted the 38 officers to be compulsorily retired.
“It should be recalled that not too long ago some officers were investigated for being partisan during the 2015 general elections,” the statement said.
“Similarly, the investigation by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts revealed a lot. Some officers have already been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” Mr. Usman said.
However, contrary to the claim by the Army, our investigations showed that only a few of the affected officers were queried, tried and indicted.
ARBITRARY DISMISSAL PREMIUM TIMES findings show that nine major generals, 11 brigadier generals, seven colonels and 11 lieutenant colonels, amounting to 38 officers in sum, were laid off by the army in that mass sack.
Highly placed sources in the Army told PREMIUM TIMES that out of the major generals, only one – Emmauel Atewe (N/7674) faced a panel and was indicted. Mr. Atewe was indicted by the presidential arms probe panel, and he is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Although S.D. Aliyu (N/7711); M.Y. Aliyu (N/8114) a former GOC 7 Division; and Fatai Alli, (N/7914) a former Director of Operations in the Army, also faced the presidential arms panel, they were cleared. Yet they were laid off for “serious offence”, our investigations revealed.
Other five major generals – L. Wiwa (N/7665), who is late Ken Saro-Wiwa’s brother; I.N. Ijeoma (N/8304); T.C Ude (N/7866); L.C. Ilo (N/8320); and O. Ejemai (N/8340) were neither queried nor indicted by any panel.
BRIGADIER GENERALS SACKED BECAUSE OF ALLEGED LOYALTIES
The cases of the affected brigadier generals are not different; only one of them – A.I Onibasa (N/9072) – was indicted by the presidential panel on arms procurement.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the remaining 10 officers were simply retired because they were suspected to have failed to help the Buhari administration regime to power.
For instance, two officers were laid off because of their ties to the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, our sources said.
The two officers – A.S.H. Sa’ad (N/8392), who was at the Directorate of Military Intelligence; and Mormoni Bashir (N/8396), former principal staff officer to Mr. Dasuki – were retired without indictment. Although, Mr. Sa’ad faced a panel, he was not found to have engaged in any wrongdoing.
For his alleged close ties to a former Army Chief, Kenneth Minimah, D. Abdulsalam (N/9169) was sent away.
Koko Essien (N/8794), a former Brigade Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, faced the election panel but was cleared. Mr. Essien was laid off nonetheless, like Bright Fibioinumana (N/8399); L.N. Bello (N/8799), former Brigade Commander, 34 Brigade Owerri; and M.G. Alli Moundhey, former Director, Campaign Planning in the North-East Operations, who were even not queried in the first place.
Although, the Nigerian Army said the affected officers were retired for either involvement in the 2015 general elections or arms procurement fraud, our investigations showed that officers who were not in Nigeria at the time of the elections were also sacked.
That was the case of I.B. Lawson (N/8812) and G.O. Agachi (N/9363) who were defence attaches at Nigeria’s missions in China and Benin Republic respectively.
According to a document seen by this newspaper, they were retired for allegedly committing “serious offence”.
But they were never informed of their offences nor were they invited to face any panel of inquiry, army insiders say.
PREMIUM TIMES
A year after, the Nigerian Army compulsory retired 38 officers, many of them the country’s brightest in internal and external security operations, but, ironically, forced out of service without recourse to the rules of disengagement in the Nigerian military.
Most of the affected officers were neither queried nor indicted by any panel, but got flushed out for reasons that smack of smack of high-level arbitrariness, witch-hunting and partisanship by authorities of the Army, a reason the victimised officers petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari in keeping with the armed forces rules to seek redress.
On June 9, 2016, in letters, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, to the affected officers, their compulsory retirement was hinged on “provisions of Paragraph 09.02c (4) of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers 2012 (Revised)”.
The referenced section – 09.02c (4) – of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers 2012 (Revised), shows the officers were laid off “on disciplinary grounds i.e. serious offence(s)”.
Emphasising “service exigencies” and that the “military must remain apolitical and professional at all times”, Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, on June 10, released a statement, disclosing what could have constituted the “serious offences” which warranted the 38 officers to be compulsorily retired.
“It should be recalled that not too long ago some officers were investigated for being partisan during the 2015 general elections,” the statement said.
“Similarly, the investigation by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts revealed a lot. Some officers have already been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” Mr. Usman said.
However, contrary to the claim by the Army, our investigations showed that only a few of the affected officers were queried, tried and indicted.
ARBITRARY DISMISSAL PREMIUM TIMES findings show that nine major generals, 11 brigadier generals, seven colonels and 11 lieutenant colonels, amounting to 38 officers in sum, were laid off by the army in that mass sack.
Highly placed sources in the Army told PREMIUM TIMES that out of the major generals, only one – Emmauel Atewe (N/7674) faced a panel and was indicted. Mr. Atewe was indicted by the presidential arms probe panel, and he is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Although S.D. Aliyu (N/7711); M.Y. Aliyu (N/8114) a former GOC 7 Division; and Fatai Alli, (N/7914) a former Director of Operations in the Army, also faced the presidential arms panel, they were cleared. Yet they were laid off for “serious offence”, our investigations revealed.
Other five major generals – L. Wiwa (N/7665), who is late Ken Saro-Wiwa’s brother; I.N. Ijeoma (N/8304); T.C Ude (N/7866); L.C. Ilo (N/8320); and O. Ejemai (N/8340) were neither queried nor indicted by any panel.
BRIGADIER GENERALS SACKED BECAUSE OF ALLEGED LOYALTIES
The cases of the affected brigadier generals are not different; only one of them – A.I Onibasa (N/9072) – was indicted by the presidential panel on arms procurement.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the remaining 10 officers were simply retired because they were suspected to have failed to help the Buhari administration regime to power.
For instance, two officers were laid off because of their ties to the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, our sources said.
The two officers – A.S.H. Sa’ad (N/8392), who was at the Directorate of Military Intelligence; and Mormoni Bashir (N/8396), former principal staff officer to Mr. Dasuki – were retired without indictment. Although, Mr. Sa’ad faced a panel, he was not found to have engaged in any wrongdoing.
For his alleged close ties to a former Army Chief, Kenneth Minimah, D. Abdulsalam (N/9169) was sent away.
Koko Essien (N/8794), a former Brigade Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, faced the election panel but was cleared. Mr. Essien was laid off nonetheless, like Bright Fibioinumana (N/8399); L.N. Bello (N/8799), former Brigade Commander, 34 Brigade Owerri; and M.G. Alli Moundhey, former Director, Campaign Planning in the North-East Operations, who were even not queried in the first place.
Although, the Nigerian Army said the affected officers were retired for either involvement in the 2015 general elections or arms procurement fraud, our investigations showed that officers who were not in Nigeria at the time of the elections were also sacked.
That was the case of I.B. Lawson (N/8812) and G.O. Agachi (N/9363) who were defence attaches at Nigeria’s missions in China and Benin Republic respectively.
According to a document seen by this newspaper, they were retired for allegedly committing “serious offence”.
But they were never informed of their offences nor were they invited to face any panel of inquiry, army insiders say.
PREMIUM TIMES
