Security Breach: 10 Army Officers Quizzed, Cleared
Army begins clearing of Ikeja Cantonment
From George Oji in Abuja
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, said yesterday that about 10 army officers were interrogated by the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) set up by the military high command to probe the security breach detected last April.
Military authorities moved Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, from Kirikiri prisons to military custody over his alleged role in the plot.
Agwai while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja on the 2004 Army Week, however, noted that the 10 officers were cleared of any complicity in the plot and accordingly left off the hook.
"Not less than 10 army officers were invited for questioning by the panel. Those officers have been cleared and have since returned to their formations. The investigation has been very thorough because we want to make sure that this type of thing does not occur again," Agwai said.
Following the completion of its investigations, the SIP turned in its report a fortnight ago to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who accordingly forwarded same to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The CDS and all the service chiefs were reported to have met for two days at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja last week for further deliberation on the SIP report. Military sources revealed that a Military Tribunal may be set up to court martial try those implicated by the SIP.
Agwai also disclosed that the Army authorities have concluded plans to commence the evacuation of the Ikeja cantonment, which was rocked by arms explosions January 27, 2002. Over 1000 people died during the incident.
Agwai said already the Federal Government has made available the sum of N28 million for the exercise, and that the money was released following due diligence process involving some consultants, the Army, and the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence.
He dismissed claims that the exercise would involve foreign consultants, noting that the Army would form about 98 per cent of the work force that would execute the job. According to him, the exercise would be thorough and painstaking, with expected period of completion put at about six months.
Government has already released money to us, the sum of N28 million for equipment, material and everything. Before the figure was arrived at, it had to go through the due diligence process.
"We are making sure that we put everything required to do a thorough job in place before starting. We are involving the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the police and other relevant bodies to ensure there are no problems at all.
"If during the operation we feel the need to evacuate people, we will do so. It is going to be a slow but steady exercise. The Nigerian Army will form about 98 per cent of those who would execute the exercise. No foreigner would be involved.
"We are very grateful that the Federal Government has released the fund. Work is going on to rehabilitate some of the barracks affected by the explosion," Agwai said.
The Army Chief also reacted to the helicopter crash, in Siera Leone on Tuesday, describing the accident as unfortunate. He, however, said that no Nigerian was involved in the crash.
"You must have heard about the helicopter crash in Freetown, Siera Leone in which all the crew and passengers died. We as a country is fortunate that no Nigerian soul was involved. My condolences to the United Nations Secretary General for the loss. That is the supreme sacrifice some of us pay for serving global peace and stability," he said.
Commenting on Army's foreign operations, Agwai said Nigerian troops are still in Sierra Leone maintaining two battalions. He said by the end of this year, the operation would formally close, but that a residual force of one battalion would remain.
On Liberia, he praised Nigeria's military for being the first vanguard that first landed there to bring the stabilization force that enabled other West African forces to later participate. Nigeria, the Army Chief added, currently maintains two battalions in Liberia.
He also disclosed that following the nation's good showing at peace operations, the African Union has requested Nigeria to send a military observer team to Sudan.
On the military's involvement in domestic security, Agwai said his officers and men would continue to maintain presence in Bakassi with the same number of troops, mindful of the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the border crisis.
On Warri, he said the "Operation Restore Hope" has been going through difficult times, but expressed joy that, "Our soldiers and officers are doing well, the difficulties and hard times notwithstanding." He praised the soldiers for showing commitment and devotion to duty.
Agwai said that the Army has within the last year intensified training of its officers and men despite its lean resources. He said Kontagora has been chosen as a training location where the army would centralise samples of its equipment for real life training of its officers and men.
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