Arms deal: Army council okays retirement of general

Chris Agbambu, Abuja - 13.02.2008

The Army Council on Tuesday okayed the retirement of a General by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.General Luka Yusuf, following the arms deal scandal.

There had been controversy over the retirement of the General as military observers noted that the army boss had no power to retire the General until the endorsement of the sanction by the Army Council.

Consequently, the General had ignored the retirement order, and had continued to report for duty at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

The two-star General, a former Director of Military Intelligence, was given his retirement letter on January 28 but refused to comply with it.

The General’s retirement followed investigations into thousands of missing arms and ammunition from the Army Central Ammunition Depot, Kaduna.

The retirement of the General was said to have been fast-tracked following the discovery that militants in the Niger Delta were in possession of military weapons which they used to kill soldiers.

The Army Council, in its decision on Monday, advised the General to voluntarily put in his separation letter from the Army latest February 28, as against the former compulsory retirement.

This was one of the highlights of the Army Council meeting presided over by the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

Other members of the council included the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Chief of Army Staff.

Informed military sources disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja that the council also endorsed the action taken by the Chief of Army Staff.