Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is urging President Bola Tinubu to reinstate 38 Nigerian Army officers who were prematurely retired eight years ago.
Falana, who represents the 38 soldiers, claims they were forced into retirement without due process or fair hearing.
The officers were accused of partisanship during the 2015 general election, arms procurement fraud, and jeopardizing national security.
However, Falana argues that these allegations were unfounded and that the National Industrial Court and the National Assembly had ordered their reinstatement, which was ignored by the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari.
The affected officers include nine major generals, 11 brigadier-generals, seven colonels, and 11 lieutenant colonels who were forced to retire on June 9, 2016.
Falana’s appeal to President Tinubu is based on the grounds that the officers did not commit any offense and that their reinstatement would be a step towards justice and correcting the past injustice.Falana said,
“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, I wish to inform President Tinubu that what happened to the 38 Army officers under the previous administration is incredible and unfortunate.
I’m also using this medium to inform you that the infamous action on the 38 officers is patently illegal and unjustified.“
The Nigerian Army cannot and should not be allowed to treat the valid and subsisting order of the National Industrial Court and the National Assembly resolution on the 38 officers with levity.“
“Mr President, there is a need for you to intervene now because if you fail to intervene, the premature retirement of these 38 officers will send a wrong signal to serving military officers that it does not pay to offer selfless service to Nigeria.
“We have also written a detailed letter to the President through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), seeking for justice and their reinstatement in line with the National Industrial Court and the National Assembly resolutions.
We sincerely believe and are confident that AGF Fagbemi will do the needful and advise the President accordingly”
