In the past four years, no fewer than 1,008 soldiers have voluntarily resigned from the Nigerian Army, according to media reports from 2020 to 2024.
The resignations, which span from 2020 to August 2023, reveal a notable trend of soldiers leaving the service before reaching the mandatory retirement age or completing their years of service.
In 2023, the Army approved the retirement of 59 soldiers. Just in August 2023, 196 soldiers tendered their resignations. A breakdown of previous years shows that 261 soldiers resigned in 2022, 127 in 2021, and 365 in 2020.
A letter dated August 23, 2024, and signed by Brigadier O.H. Musa, directed the 196 soldiers who resigned this year to proceed on terminal leave starting November 1, with their official disengagement date set for November 30, 2024.
The letter stated that their units should complete and submit the necessary documentation by September 6, 2024.
Responding to the trend, the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu stated that service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary, not by conscription.
He noted that some soldiers leave for medical reasons, while others resign for personal reasons.
“Officers and soldiers are processed for retirement or discharge in line with the terms and conditions of service of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“A few retire or discharge on medical grounds, while very few seek discharge voluntarily for personal reasons. This is not unusual and is seen in other security and civil organizations globally,” Nwachukwu told Punch.
