‘Deserted’ Soldier Calls For Revisit Of Army Authority’s Action

By Sikiru Obarayese 

A ‘deserted’ soldier, Opeyemi Ogunmodede has called on the Federal Government as well as the Nigerian Army to investigate the recall of dismissed soldiers aftermath of the 2015 mass desertion of duty.

The “deserted” soldier who was dismissed in 2015 while serving in the Operation Lafia Dole asserted that Nigeria Army in the year 2014 and 2015 recorded mass disciplinary cases against some personnel serving in the unit.

He explained that the Army summoned those whose offence are minor to the Army training camp in Jaji, Kaduna state on August 17, 2015 for screening including himself.

He said, this resulted to the dismissal of a large number of soldiers.

According to him, after a review from ASA, some soldiers were re-instated and assembled at Army Headquarters in Kontangura under Major General Dauke, who was the commander of Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), where they were retrained because according to the military requirement, they were believed to have lost military training during the period of their dismissal.

He further explained that upon going for their training in Kontangura, they received a signal which informed them that all those whose name were included in the reinstatement list and were conveyed through military bus to Kotongura will be posted to different places after the Mandatory training.

While speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, Opeyemi lamented that upon the completion of their training he alongside many others were not posted to any place to report.

“We complained immediately at the camp but we were told to put down our names and go back to our respective homes that our posting will be done as soon as possible.”

“Unfortunately, we have been at home since 2015 till date, not knowing what is happening. They said we should wait for our posting.”

Opeyemi, in the document that was made available to this medium signed by a Military Police, one Colonel Dan Walang, dated September, 21, 2015, titled: Posting of Reinstated Soldiers 29NA/33665 PPO Akanni Welcome and 76 Others.

Among the seventh-seven dismissed soldiers, it was revealed in a document coded NATRAC/G1/300/02 that fifty-four of them were posted while the rest fourteen males and eight females were left in the barrack.

Upon been retrained and assigning of some of them to different barracks, Opeyemi said, the rest of them were left behind.

Opeyemi pleaded to the federal government to look into their case and consider their pleas, saying “Even if they will not be reinstated, they, at least deserve to know their status”, saying he could no longer tell if he is still in the army or he is just a civilian”.