Army silent on identities of retired officers

The Nigerian army says only 38 senior officers were compulsorily retired, but refused to make the names public.

TheCable published names of 41 affected officers on Sunday – and stands by its story.

Sani Usman, army spokesman, dismissed reports that as many as 200 senior officers were affected in the exercise.

“The attention of the Nigerian army has been drawn to speculations and rumours regarding the number and names of the senior army officers affected in the recent retirement exercise,” Usman said in a statement.

“This is worrisome as some individuals and media houses went to the ridiculous extent of publishing outrageous figures and names of serving officers as being retired. This is unethical and unfair.

“It is therefore necessary to inform the public to please disregard such inaccurate lists.

“We wish to state that only 38 senior officers were affected by the retirement exercise. For the avoidance of doubt the following is the statistics of the officers retired compulsorily; nine major-generals, 10 brigadier-generals, seven colonels, 11 lieutenant colonels and a major.

“We are quite aware that some mischievous elements are trying to whip up sentiments. This is quite unfortunate because all the affected officers were retired based on service exigencies and in line with the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“It is pertinent to remind all that the Nigerian army is a professional institution that is based on highest standards of discipline and conduct. Consequently, its personnel must remain professional, neutral and apolitical at all times.”

He was silent on allegations that the retirements affected more officers from the south than the north.

TheCable reported that ex-ADCs to former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan are among the military officers retired.

They were retired over two allegations, according to the army: partisanship and corruption.

Ojogbane Adegbe, a colonel and former ADC to Jonathan, and Mustapha Onoiveta, former ADC to Yar’Adua, were both retired.

Nicholas Achinze, a colonel and former military assistant to Owoye Azazi, a retired general, and Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel, was also retired.

Both Azazi and Dasuki were national security advisers under Jonathan.

Sahara Reporters reported that some of the officers said they were targeted because of their ethnicity and their perceived affiliation to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

It said Letam Wiwa, a major general and younger brother of the late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was retired even though “there is no evidence that he was ever investigated for corruption”.

Tonye Minimah, a colonel and younger brother of the former chief of army staff, Kenneth Minimah, a retired lieutenant general, was also retired.