Mass retirements loom in Armed Forces

Indications have emerged that hundreds of officers and soldiers of Nigerian Army and other services who have served the mandatory 35 years in service or attained 60 years of age have been served letters of retirement by the services.

Towards this end, it was gathered that many officers from the ranks of Major to one and two-star Generals have been told to proceed on terminal leave pending their date of disengagement.
The duration of the terminal leave varies from three months in some instance to six months.
Sources knowledgeable about the development said those involved include officers who either joined the military as Non-Commissioned Officers and later got commissioned as officers and officers who entered the Army, for instance, from Nigerian Military School, NMS.

It was furthered gathered that the distribution of the letters on the part of the Army by the office of the Military Secretary, Army, has unsettled many officers, having received the backing of the Presidency.

A source said one important reason this decision was taken, was the need to checkmate incidences of backlog of promotions and the top heavy hierarchy of Defence Headquarters and the services, which had been a source of worry for both the military establishment and the Presidency.