By Sadiq Umar, Abuja. – The Nigerian Army has reinstated over 3000 out of 5000 soldiers for various offences relating to their handling of their assignment in the war against terror.
The reinstatement followed the review of their cases by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai –led disciplinary committee.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari recently set up a committee to look into the cases following outcry from Nigerians and some of the affected soldiers.
Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, Thursday disclosed at a news conference in Abuja that the cases presented to the disciplinary review committee were treated on merit, still, informed that the review process was still ongoing.
However, Col. Usman said that only soldiers with disciplinary related cases were reinstated, while those indicted with criminal related cases, were not considered by the committee.
The Army Spokesman cited previous circumstances where similar committee was constituted to review the disciplinary cases relating to soldiers in the defunct “Operation Zaman Lafiya.”
He said the committee has concluded its initial sitting and has made certain recommendation that led to the reinstatement of a total of “3032 soldiers out of 5,000 cases reviewed so far”.
“The reinstated soldiers have since commenced re-training exercise, at a military facility in Niger, preparatory for their eventual redeployment to the operational theatre,” Usman said.
Adding that the re-training would reacquaint the affected soldiers with current development in the MNJTF’s onslaught against the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country.
