By Milcah Tanimu
Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has called on President Bola Tinubu to reinstate 38 Nigerian army officers who were “prematurely retired” in 2016. Falana made the appeal during an interview with journalists on Wednesday, revealing he had written to the president through Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, seeking justice.
In June 2016, the Nigerian Army retired several high-ranking officers, accusing them of corruption and partisanship. The retired officers, however, claimed they were denied fair hearings and unaware of the allegations. They have since sought redress in both the National Industrial Court and the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Despite court orders directing the reinstatement of some officers, the Nigerian Army has not complied. Falana, who represents the affected officers, criticized the “illegal and forceful retirement,” calling for President Tinubu to intervene. He emphasized that the Army should not be allowed to ignore court orders or resolutions by the National Assembly.
Falana further warned that failing to reverse the unjust retirements would send the wrong message to serving military officers about selfless service to the nation. He remains confident that the Attorney-General will advise the president accordingly to uphold justice for the officers.
