The Nigerian Army has released a list of top officers who were forcefully retired on Friday.
A statement from Army headquarters, signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations on the retirements and released at 12. 45am, on Friday, read, “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the general public that quite a number of senior officers of the Nigerian Army were retired from service yesterday. “Those retired were mainly some Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and a Major.
“Their retirement was based on Service exigencies. It should be recalled that not too long ago some officers were investigated for being partisan during the 2015 general elections. Similarly, the investigation by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts revealed a lot.
“Some officers have already been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“People should therefore not read this out of context. The military must remain apolitical and professional at all times”.
Meanwhile, a sizeable number of those retired are said to be those that held operational positions like Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers and other sensitive positions during the 2015 general elections, as well as those that participated in the war against terror, now christened ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.
However, the first list with 47 names and their ranks has become available on the following day, Sunday.
Read the first batch of names below:
1. Ojogbane Adegbe, a colonel and a former aide-de-camp (ADC) to ex president Goodluck Jonathan
2. Mustapha Onoiveta, a brigadier general and a former ADC to ex president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
3. Nicholas Achinze, a colonel and a former military assistant to the former national security adviser (NSA) Gen. Owoye Azazi (rtd.) and the former NSA Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.).
4. Maj Gen FO Ali
5. Maj Gen EG Atewe
6. Maj Gen Ejemai
7. Maj Gen MY Ibrahim
8. Maj Gen IN Ijioma
9. Maj Gen Koleoso
10. Maj Gen PAT Akem
11. Maj Gen LC Ilo
12. Maj Gen SD Aliyu
13. Brig Gen Onibasa
14. Brig Gen IM Lawson
15. Brig Gen D Abdusalam
16. Brig Gen Bashir Mormoni
17. Brig Gen ASH Sahaad – a former ADC to the late president Musa Yar’adua
18. Brig Gen Koko Essien
19. Brig Gen LM Bello
20. Brig Gen MG Ali
21. Brig Gen Oyefesobi
22. Brig Gen Ogidi
23. Brig Gen Fiboinumama
24. Brig Gen Agachi
25. Col OU Nwankwo
26. Col DR Hassan
27. Col TT Minima – a younger brother of the former chief of army staff Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah
28. Col CK Ukoha
29. Col FD Kayode
30. Lt Col Oladuntoye
31. Lt Col Adinmoha
32. Lt Col CO Amadi
33. Lt Col Baba Ochanpa
34. Lt Col Dazang
35. Lt Col TE Arigbe
36. Lt Col Egemole
37. Lt Col A Suleiman
38. Lt Col A Mohammed
39. Lt Col AS Mohammed
40. Lt Col Enemchukwu
41. Maj TA Williams
42. Maj General TC Ude
43. Maj Gen Letam Wiwa – a younger brother of the murdered environmental rights activist and author Ken Saro-Wiwa
44. Brig General Okonkwo
45. Brig General PE Ekpeyong
46. Col Audu 47. Lt Col GC Nyekwu
