In the past four years, the Nigerian Army has seen the resignation of no fewer than 1,008 soldiers, according to media reports covering the period from 2020 to 2024.
This trend has raised questions about the factors contributing to the growing number of voluntary discharges among the ranks.
In 2023 alone, the Nigerian Army approved the retirement of 59 soldiers, while August 2024 saw 196 soldiers exit the force. In previous years, the resignations were as follows: 261 soldiers in 2022, 127 in 2021, and a significant 365 in 2020.
What is particularly noteworthy is that many of these soldiers had neither reached the retirement age nor completed the mandatory years of service.
In a disengagement letter dated August 23, 2024, and signed by Brigadier O.H. Musa, the 196 soldiers who resigned were instructed to begin terminal leave starting November 1, 2024, with their official discharge date set for November 30.
The letter stated,
“In accordance with the provisions of References A and B, the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) via Reference C approved the voluntary discharge of the above-named soldier and 195 others listed in Annex A. The soldiers are to proceed on terminal leave with effect from 1 November 24 while their disengagement date takes effect from 30 November 24.”
In response to the rising turnover, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, clarified that service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary and not based on conscription.
He acknowledged that some soldiers resigned for medical reasons, while others left for personal reasons.
“Though I do not have the exact details of yearly retirements or discharge of personnel currently, I can say that officers and soldiers are processed for retirement or discharge by time, based on laid down criteria and provisions of the terms and conditions of service of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Nwachukwu explained.
He added that some personnel also retire after completing the mandatory 35 years of service, while others exit for medical or personal reasons.
Nwachukwu emphasized that this phenomenon is not unique to the Nigerian Army but is common in security and civil organizations around the world, and it should not be viewed as an unusual occurrence.
Despite these explanations, the steady wave of resignations continues to generate discussion about the state of the Nigerian Army and the potential underlying causes driving soldiers to leave before completing their service.
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