It has emerged that the advise preferred by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his several meetings at the Presidential Villa with
President Mohammadu Buhari led to the retirement of senior military officers announced yesterday by the Nigerian Army, 80 percent of whom are from the South East and South South geo-political zones of the country, Government and Military sources confirmed to Pointblanknews.com
Sources say some names of Northerners in the list are fake as only about one can be verified.
Among those retired were Major Gen LC ILO, (GOC 2 Division), Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, ADC to former President Goodluck Jonathan and Col. Tonye F Minima, younger brother to immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Keneth Minimah.
Pointblanknews.com reports say that President Buhari sought the advice of former president Obasanjo, who had carried out a similar purge of “political soldiers” when he assumed duties as president in 1999.
Read the reports by Pointblank below
Obasanjo who installed the YarÁdua/Jonathan presidency but later fell out with Jonathan, had backed President Buhari during the 2015 presidential race and publicly tore his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card, advised Buhari to rid the military of officers whose loyalty to his government is in doubt in view of their roles in the 2015 general elections.
“The several meetings they had reviewed a number of issues including ridding the military of corrupt officers, whose tainted roles in the last
election could not be equated with their professional calling, dubious arms procurement issues and doubtful loyalty to Buhari’s government.
Obviously, whether you like it or not, most of them have deep seated sympathy for the former president (Jonathan).
“Former president Obasanjo as a former military head of state, and both are former military heads of state, does not hide his feeling and gave him
(Buhari) his piece of mind. Really, you can’t work with people whose loyalty are in doubt”, a source close to the government said.
Some of those retired were brigade commanders and GOCs.
Buoyed by Obasanjo’s advise, President Buhari descended on top military officers from the South including those who had no business with either the 2015 election or the arms contracts.
Those from the South East include Major General LC Ilo, (GOC 2 Division), Major General T.C Ude, Major General IN Ijoma, Brigadier General Okonkwo, Col O. U. Nwankwo, Col Nicholas Achinze, ADC to former National Security Adviser, Col Dasuki Sambo, Col C.k. Ukoha, Lt. Col C. Enechukwu, Lt. Col. C Amadi and Lt. Col. Adimoha.
Officers from the South South are Brigadier-General Koko Essien, Brigadier-General P.E. Ekpeyong, Col Tonye F. Minimah, younger brother to
former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Minimah, Brigadier-General IMD Lawson, Brigadier-General Onoyiveta, Major Gen, Letam Wiwa, younger brother to late Environmentalist, Late Ken Saro Wiwa and Major T.A Williams.
President Buhari had earlier sacked southern officers in the Department of State Security (DSS) including former Spokesperson of the agency, Miss Marylin Ogar and even went as far as sacking 100 trainee officers of the agency in Lagos.
Pointblanknews.com also gathered from military sources a manipulation of the list of retired officers released which created the impression that
many core northern military officers were involved in the purge.
“Some of the names of northern officers being bandied are non-existent. They are manipulated to give a false impression”, a dependable source
said.
The List….
Major Gen, L.C. Iloh
Major Gen IN Ijoma
Maj Gen. T. C. Ude
Brigadier-General Okonkwo
Brigadier p. E. Ekpenyong
Majo General Letam Wiwa
Brigadier-General IMD Lawson
Brigadier Gen Koko Essien
Col Tonye F Minimah
Brigadier Gen Bright Fiboinumama
Brigadier-Gen Onoyiveta
Col O U Okonkwo
Col CK Ukoha
Col OU Nwankwo
Col GC Nyekwu
Lt Col C. Enechukwu
Lt Col CO Amadi,
Lt Col Adimoha
Maj Gen FO Ali.
Maj Gen EG Atewe.
Maj Gen Ejemai.
Maj Gen MY Ibrahim
Maj Gen Koleoso
Maj Gen PAT Akem
Brig Gen LM Bello.
Brig Gen MG Ali.
Brig Gen Oyefesobi.
Brig Gen Ogidi. 21.
Brig Gen Agachi
Col Adegbe
Col DR Hassan.
Col FD Kayode
Lt Col Oladuntoye
Lt Col Baba Ochanpa
Lt Col Dazang
Lt Col TE Arigbe
Lt Col Egemole
Lt Col A Suleiman
Lt Col A Mohammed
Lt Col AS Mohammed
Brig Gen Bashir Mormoni
Brig Gen AH Sa’ad
Brig Gen Ogidi
Brig Gen LN Bello
Brig. General PE
