Despite alarming insecurity battle in Nigeria, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor, has ordered 50 Generals in the Nigerian military to tender their resignation with immediate effect.
They cut across the Air Force, Army and Navy; around 25 of the senior officers are in the Army. An impeccable source told an online news platform that Irabor gave the directive at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
At a 2 pm meeting, the CDS thanked them for their service and told all present that it was high time they left office. But the Course 36 Generals still have more than three years before their retirement.
“They are about 50; 2 of them in the Army will retire in 2022, while the rest have about 3 and half years left in service,” the source revealed.
Another source wondered why the Armed Forces are eager to ease out scores of capable and experienced hands at a time the country is battling insecurity.
Ironically, Irabor recently intervened in the 2016 forceful retirement of 38 Army officers via a letter (Ref. No. CDS/8/A) to the Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi, a retired Major General.
They were asked to go in June 2016, an action described as arbitrary by those affected, security personnel, experts and Nigerians.
Till date, the military and the Federal Government are yet to comply with extant court judgments ordering the officers re-absorption.
In January 2020, Justice Rukiya Hasstrup at National Industrial Court in Abuja faulted the Army decision and directed their reinstatement.
In May 2020, Justice Edith Agbakoba approved that contempt of court charge is filed against military chiefs for failing to comply with a valid order.