Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah
Reports reveal that about 25 Army Generals have been forced into retirement following the appointment of their juniors as service chiefs on Monday, July 13.
The army tradition stipulates that a General cannot serve under a junior, therefore the Generals are mandated to voluntarily retire.
The immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah, disclosed this on Friday, July 17, in Abuja while handing over to his successor, Major General Tukur Buratai at the Defence Headquarters.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Minimah said some senior unnamed officers have already received notice of retirement.
He stated that the affected officers have been given notice of six weeks to proceed on retirement.
Minimah said: “Today, I am leaving behind an Army that can hold its own against any adversary without batting an eyelid. It is an Army that has vowed never again to concede any inch of Nigeria to terrorists. It is a legacy I am leaving behind and I implore you to sustain it.
“As I hand over today, I am happy to inform you that the Boko Haram terrorists’ insurgency is at a certain defeat.
“During my tenure, we were able to reclaim all territories earlier lost to the terrorists, sufficiently degrade their potency and reduced them to a band of criminals and petty thieves.
“Success did not come cheap. It came with the sweat and blood of all of us. In the face of unusual events, we had to take unusual actions. Some may adjudge us as being too strict especially in dealing with cases of cowardice and indiscipline in the field.
“But, we had to do what we must to arrest the drift towards chaos that the army was heading. I am happy that the result in the field today justifies our actions.”
However, he explained that he had to take some drastic measures to save the Army from collapse and anarchy, apparently referring to the court-martialling of many officers and men taking part in the ongoing war against terrorists for indiscipline, cowardice and mutiny.