Alleged Improper/compulsory dismissal of 38 officers in Nigerian army: Senate Commences Probe of procedure.

Following sustained protestations by senior officers of the Nigerian Army including Generals over what they termed improper and illegal compulsory retirements by Army authorities, the Nigerian Senate has begun an investigation into the dismissal.

Recall that 38 men of the Nigerian Army were dismissed and one of the affected officers, Abdulfatai Mohammed, wrote a petition to the National Assembly.

The petition was received by the Senate through Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta, APC) on July 19 this year.

The petition was then referred to the committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions chaired by Samuel Anyanwu, (PDP Imo) for investigation.

The first hearing of the committee on the petition has been slated for Wednesday.

At the hearing, the parties, including the Army and the affected officer, will make presentations in connection with the petition, alleging arbitrariness in the manner the officers were removed from service by the military.

The army had in June 2016, announced the compulsory retirement of the 38 officers on different ranks on the grounds of alleged professional misconduct during the 2015 general elections, as well as involvement in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal.

There are allegations that the Army breached its own rule by retiring most of the officers without query or indictment by any panel, thereby raising the question of arbitrariness.

This is further buttressed by allegations that many of the officers never had anything to do with procurement or any of the allegations they were said to have been indicted for.

Recall that some of the officers have severally petitioned the Presidency without their petitions been addressed.

Therefore, the petition to the Senate is the latest of their efforts at seeking reinstatement.

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