B’Haram: Army begins review of disciplinary cases today

The Committee of the Nigerian Army entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing the disciplinary cases of over 2,000 soldiers will begin sitting at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, on Monday (today).

The committee is expected to sit for about three weeks to review all disciplinary cases emanating from the ongoing counter -insurgency operation in the North-East.

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It was learnt that the committee would commence sitting on August 17 and would submit its recommendations for the approval of the ‘Army Council or any other relevant authority.’

The Army authorities had said on August 2, 2015 that the service would constitute a panel to review all recent disciplinary cases in the Army.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement then that all disciplinary cases were to be reviewed because of litigations and petitions from aggrieved personnel.

Usman noted that the directive to review the disciplinary cases should not be misconstrued to mean ‘total recall of dismissed and deserter soldiers.’

A security officer, who confided in our correspondent, said that the officers and soldiers who had been assembled at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, were those whose cases originated from the military operation in the North-East.

It was stated that each of the cases would be reviewed on its merit and the appropriate action recommended.

It was further gathered that the committee would not only dwell on those being investigated but would take a step further to probe the investigations to ensure that the appropriate actions were taken.

The security officer, who confided in our correspondent, said, “The authorities decided to set up the panel to revisit the cases in the first place because of the flood of petitions and litigations demanding a review.”

However, Usman told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday that the committee had commenced sitting.

He said that the committee would review disciplinary cases in consonance with the Army authorities’ directive as contained in the August 1, 2015, statement.

He said, “A review committee has been set up. The committee has commenced work to review disciplinary cases as earlier stated in the press statement.”