From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Army yesterday ruled out witchhunt in the retirement of two of its senior officers from service, saying it was done in compliance with due process.
The army disclosed that the Board of Inquiry (BoI), set up to probe their roles during the general elections in the country, found them culpable of some of the allegations levelled against them and, therefore, recommended that the two officers be compulsorily retired from service.
It said the retired officers, along 60 others, as well as 100 soldiers were throughly investigated based on petitions and allegations of unprofessional and partisan conducts during the 2015 general elections, as well as that of Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections last year. The army said the BoI, had made several recommendations in its report on January 11, to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, which was eventually adopted by the Army Council.
However, while the retirement from service of Brigadier-General Momoh did not come to many as a surprise owing to the overwhelming evidence provided by the whistle-blower, Captain Sagir, on his role during the elections; that of a one time spokesperson of the army, Brigadier-General Laleye, was said to have come as a time bomb to many, who believed the officer may have been sent packing because of the role he played in the certificate saga of President Buhari, during the elections.
In an interview with Daily Sun, acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said “for anybody to wake up to say somebody is being victimised is very wrong”.
Usman said: “All these things we are doing will stand the test of time. No one has the arbitrary powers to retire anyone from service just like that without following due process. You don’t arbitrarily punish officers.”
Chairman of BOI, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, who is also General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, said the board placed advertorials in the media, requesting for memoranda from the public before they commenced sitting.
He said 62 officers and over 100 soldiers and 62 civilians appeared before the board, adding that it made far-reaching recommendations that would assist the army and the nation in the future.
He said two officers were recommended for compulsory retirement from the army, three were to lose their commands and one was recommended for prosecution for collecting financial gratification. Other recommendations include placing 15 officers on watch list, nine officers to be further investigated by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over allegations levelled against them.
Also, six officers were to face an audit committee and 62 officers (mostly of the rank of Majors and below) were to be given Letters of Displeasure and to appear before their respective GOCs for counseling.