Boko Haram: Nigeria Army Reinstates 2,500 Soldiers, 102 Officers

The Nigerian Army has recalled over 2,500 soldiers who were asked to withdraw from service for alleged offenses committed under the counter- insurgency operations code named Operation Zaman Lafiya.

The review panel set up by the Army, which began sitting in Kaduna on August 17, has also screened and reinstated 102 officers, who were sentenced or facing prosecution in relation to the operations in the North-East.

The reinstated soldiers and officers, it was learnt, had commenced retraining at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontangora, Niger State.


The 2,500 soldiers were among the over 4,000 who responded to a memo from the Army authorities inviting soldiers for a review of recent disciplinary cases, which emanated from the counter terrorism operations.

The NA had said on August 1, 2015 that the service would constitute a panel to review all recent disciplinary cases in the service.
But the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, cautioned that the directive to review disciplinary cases should not be mistaken for a “total reinstatement of dismissed and deserter soldiers.”