For instance O.U. Nwankwo (N/9678) was studying at the University of Ibadan while M.A. Suleiman (N/10030) was in Chad as Defence Attaché before they were suddenly retired.
Then, C.K. Ukoha (N/10319) was in Abuja during the elections, insiders told us, but was accused of taking part in electoral fraud in Benin and was retired.
Also, without probe or indictment for any offence, T. Minimah (N/10185), brother to former Army Chief, Kenneth Minimah, was also removed from his post in Benin and retired.
Did the retirements follow due process?
PREMIUM TIMES checks indicated the army violated its own rules in the ways the officers were disengaged.
The Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers whose paragraph 09.02c (4) was relied upon to remove the officers, originates from the Armed Forces Act.
The section cited by the Army provides that an officer may be compulsorily retired “on disciplinary grounds i.e. serious offence(s)” without defining what constitutes “serious offences”.
But the principal law – the Armed Forces Act – establishes all actions that constitute offences in the Military.
The Act prescribes steps to be taken in punishing offences, and a review shows no section empowers the Army Council to arbitrarily punish or compulsorily retire officers for any offence.
In fact, the Army Council, in Section 11(a-f) of the Act, has no power to retire any officer on disciplinary ground without compliance with the steps prescribed by law.
“Army did no wrong; affected officers can seek redress”
The spokesperson for the Army, Sani Usman, a Colonel, however insisted the officers were properly retired.
“Those that were compulsorily retired had one problem or the other that warranted their compulsory retirement from the Army,” Mr. Usman told NEWSMEN.
“Basically that’s it. And whoever is not satisfied with that should please seek redress. They are quite familiar with the terms and conditions of service.
“None of them was arbitrarily retired and they know. Army can’t just retire you without any offence or because the Chief of Army Staff does not like your face.
“It is not for them to go to newspaper. They were advised to write the Commander-in-Chief through the Chief of Defence Staff to seek redress. Their records are there and they will be given cogent reason why they were asked to retire compulsorily.”
Mr. Usman was evasive when asked whether all the affected officers were queried or formally indicted before they were forced out of service.
