Jubilation as Nigerian Army reinstates 2,500 soldiers, 102 officers

Over 2,500 soldiers withdrawn from service by the Nigerian Army over alleged offences committed under the counter- insurgency operations code named Operation Zaman Lafiya, have been reinstated by the review panel set up by the Army.

The review panel which began sitting in Kaduna on August 17, has also screened and reinstated 102 officers, who were sentenced or facing prosecution in relation to the operations in the North-East.
The reinstated soldiers and officers have commenced retraining at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontangora, Niger State.

The 2,500 soldiers were among the over 4,000 who responded to a memo from the Army authorities inviting soldiers for a review of recent disciplinary cases, which emanated from the counter terrorism operations.
The NA had said on August 1, 2015 that the service would constitute a panel to review all recent disciplinary cases in the service.

But the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, cautioned that the directive to review disciplinary cases should not be mistaken for a “total reinstatement of dismissed and deserter soldiers.”
It was learnt that more dismissed personnel of the Army might be brought back to the service as the screening panel would continue with the review of cases on Monday (today).

 “The panel has cleared 2,500 soldiers who were dismissed from their units for minor offences alleged to have been committed under Operation Zaman Lafiya.

“The review panel also cleared 102 officers who were either asked to withdraw, dismissed or facing prosecution for various offences under the operation,” a source in the Nigerian Army said.
The soldiers, who were said to have been conveyed out of the NDA, Kaduna, venue of the review panel, in luxury buses on Saturday are expected to undergo a short retraining exercise as part of the reintegration requirements into the service at the NATRAC, Kotangora.
After the retraining, the Army authorities would screen the affected personnel and re-activate their suspended bank accounts.

It was further learnt that the panel would also review the cases of 66 soldiers who were sentenced to death by firing squad.

It was learnt that majority of the affected soldiers were dismissed from the service for violating a law said to have forbidden the personnel of the Army from marrying foreigners.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman,  said that those asked to leave the venue of the review panel were not eligible for the review exercise.