Senate to commence investigation over firing of 38 officers

The Nigerian Army is the subject of an investigation by a Senate committee looking into the possibly illegal dismissal of 38 officers in 2016.

The Senate's decision to probe the dismissals is as a result of a July 19 petition submitted to the upper legislative chamber by one of the affected officers, Abdulfatai Mohammed.

According to Premium Times, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions will commence hearing on the petition today, Wednesday, October 4, 2017.

The committee, chaired by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo), will listen to presentations from the Nigerian Army and the affected officers.

The officers had been asked to compulsorily retire from service in June 2016 on the grounds of alleged professional misconduct during the 2015 general elections, as well as involvement in a $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal.

Despite the allegations against them, the Army breached its own protocols by retiring most of the officers without query or indictment by any panel, thereby raising question of arbitrariness.

In their bid to get reinstated, the officers have written three petitions to the presidency, but failed to get a response.