The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor has ordered 50 Generals in the Nigerian military to tender their resignation with immediate effect.
According to Daily Post, the officers cut across the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy; around 25 of the senior officers are in the army.
An impeccable source stated that Irabor gave the directive at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
At a 2pm 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 had more than three years before their retirement.
“They are about 50; two of them in the Army will retire in 2022, while the rest have about three and half years left in service”, the source revealed.
Another source wondered why the Armed Forces were 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 Nigerian Army officers via a letter (Ref. No. CDS/8/A) to the Minister of Defence, 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’ reabsorption.
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 the military chiefs for failing to comply with a valid order.