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Specific reasons given for compulsory retirement of some senior
officers of the Nigerian Army have been uncovered in the PREMIUM TIMES
ongoing investigations of the controversial exercise.
The reasons ranged from alleged money laundering and arms procurement
scam to illegal sale of military vehicle and professional misconduct in
election matters, documents seen by this newspaper showed.
The Army Council compulsorily retired 38 senior officers in June.
Days after the exercise, the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, a colonel,
confirmed the development, generally saying the officers were laid off
on the grounds of arms procurement fraud and professional misconduct in
the 2015 elections.
But investigation by this newspaper revealed most of the affected
officers were sent away without query or indictment by any panel but for
reasons that smacked of high-level arbitrariness, pettiness,
witch-hunting and partisanship by Army authorities.
In the Army’s statement that confirmed the retirement exercise, there
was no specific reason given for retiring each of the officers.
Even in the June 9 dismissal letter – seen by PREMIUM TIMES – given
to the affected officers, there was no specific reason, other than
reference to Paragraph 09.02c(4) of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions
of Service for Officers 2012, which is “disciplinary grounds i.e.
serious offence”.
But official documents filed by the Army in court and seen by this
newspaper showed the actual reasons the Army gave for sending at least
22 of the officers away.
Nwokoro Ijioma (N/8304), Major General, was accused of “illegal sale
of 17 military vehicles.” The duo of Ohifeme Ejemai (N/8340), Major
General, and A.S. Saad (N/8392), Brigadier General, were compulsorily
retired for “fraud and money laundering”.
LM Bello (N/8799), another Brigadier General, was retired for “arms procurement (fraud)/ distortion and partisanship”.
Three other Brigadier Generals, A. Onibasa (N/9072), D. Abdulsalam
(N/9165) and Idam Agachi (N/8780) were respectively retired because they
“engaged in acts of corruption.”
However, “money laundering” was added for Mr. Agachi.
For Peter Ekpeyong (N/8730), O.U. Nwankwo (N/9678), Feyisetan Kayode
(N/9344), M.A. Suleiman (N10030) and Tobiah Minimah (N/10185), all
Colonels, “disciplinary grounds” were cited as reasons for their
compulsory retirement.
Apart from “disciplinary grounds”, Mr. Minimah, a brother of a former
Army Chief, Kenneth Minimah, was also alleged to have been involved in
“partisan election” – same allegation faced by D.R. Hassan (N/9909),
C.K. Ukoha (N/10319) and Timothy Oladuntoye (N/10338), also Colonels.
Then, five Lieutenant Colonels – Chinonye Amadi (N10359), O.A.
Ochankpa (N/10419), K.O. Adimoha (N/10421) A. Mohammed (N/10659) and
Abubakar Mohammed (N/10662) – were also accused of “involvement in
election matters”.
The two remaining Lt. Colonels, D.B. Dazang (N/10414) and T.E. Arigbe
(N/10416) had their careers brought to an abrupt end for “disciplinary
issues”.
However, contrary to the Army’s claims, -PREMIUM TIMES’ findings show
that at least 15 of the 22 officers seeking redress were not indicted
by any panel before they were dismissed.
Among the 15, only Brigadier General A. Saad actually appeared before
a panel. Even he was, however, cleared by the arms procurement probe
panel. None of the other 14 were queried or invited to appear before any
panel, a contravention of Army rule.
“These charges are new to us,” one of the dismissed officers told PREMIUM TIMES.
” Nobody ever mentioned it or accused any of us, at least not me, before we were dismissed,” he added.
The fifteen who were never indicted are Messrs. 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).
Two others who were neither queried nor indicted by any panel, as our
investigations revealed, were not among the 22 who sought redress.
Mormoni Bashir (N/8396), a former principal staff officer to ex-National
Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, and I. Lawson (N/8812), a Defense
Attache in China did not appeal their dismissals.
The 22 who are seeking redress have already written to the President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to a July letter by the Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi
Olonisakin, to President Muhammadu Buhari, the 22 officers complained
that Army authorities breached laws in ending their careers abruptly.
Except Mr. Efemai who prefers voluntary retirement, the officers are
praying Mr. Buhari to consider their appeals and reinstate them into the
army, Mr. Olonisakin’s letter seen by this newspaper showed.
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