The Nigerian has dismissed over 300 soldiers from service. They are alleged to have deserted the Operation Lafiya Dole counter-insurgency fight going on in the North-East and going away without leave, among others.
Investigation reveals that the men were disengaged by their unit commanders between 2015 and 2016.
It is also revealed that some of the soldiers are discharged for forgery of certificate, age fraud, inconsistent Bank Verification Number (BVN) and other conducts considered inappropriate by the various unit commanders.
According to the Punch, records on Thursday show that 24 soldiers of the 118 Task Force Battalion, Kaura Cross, Baga are dismissed from the military in December 13, 2015, for refusing to board an articulated truck from Maimalari cantonment to Bada.
The men have earlier complained about the mode of transportation and go on to trek for five days to the battlefront at Baga to retake the location from Boko Haram.
On their arrival, they are charged with desertion by their Commanding Officer, Col. S. Omolori, and are subsequently dismissed.
Three weeks later on January 4, 2016, Omolori is said to have discharged another 30 set of soldiers and 24 men for desertion as well.
Also, another investigation revealed that 45 soldiers of the 157 Battalion are as well expelled on January 16, 2016, for travelling without official leave.
Equally, on February 28, 2016, another 24 soldiers are disengaged for travelling without official leave and 36 privates who graduated from the Army depot are sacked by the authorities for certificate forgery, inconsistent BVN, age fraud, among other issues.
However, investigations have revealed that some of the affected officials have challenged their dismissal by their unit commanders, whom they accused of high-handedness and tyranny.
The dismissed officers in their petitions to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, plead to be reabsorbed into the Nigeria military.
A lawyer to the dismissed officers, Johnson Oyewole, expresses confidence that the COAS would address the soldiers’ complaints, nullify their dismissal and reinstate them into the Nigerian army, adding that many cases are under review.
Oyewole is representing over 200 dismissed soldiers. He has said, “The problem is from some field commanders who have failed to flush out insurgents in their areas of responsibility and were venting their frustration on the troops.”
