Nigerian Army Removes Commander Whose Battalion Revolted Yesterday

The Defence Headquarters on Thursday announced the redeployment of Major General Ahmed Mohammed as the General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Borno State.

The redeployment is coming on the heels of the mutiny by soldiers of the 7 Division, who were reacting to the killing of six of their colleagues by members of the dreaded sect, Boko Haram.

The dead officer and soldiers were ambushed by the Boko Haram members during a patrol in the Chibok area of Borno State.

The 234 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram were taken in Chibok.

They were of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

Major General Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence Information, announced the redeployment of Mohammed at a news conference in Maiduguri.

“The GOC has been redeployed based on the decision of the headquarters,” Olukolade said.

He said an acting GOC had been appointed to oversee the affairs of the division.

He promised that the redeployment of the GOC would not affect the ongoing anti-terrorism war of the Nigerian military.

“Let me assure that the military will sustain the current tempo in the fight against insurgents,” he said.

Olukolade, however, denied reports that Mohammed was wounded in Wednesday’s protest by some soldiers, who fired at his official car during a sympathy visit.

He said: “The GOC or his aides were not wounded during the incident.

“Let me say again that nobody was injured during the incident.”

The spokesperson said the Defence Headquarters had instituted a military inquiry into the unruly behaviour by the soldiers, who fired shots during the GOC’s visit.

He said: “On May 13, our troops, who had been on an assignment in Chibok, were returning to Maiduguri when they were ambushed in Dalwa, few kilometres to the city.

“One officer and five soldiers were killed, while a number of others were wounded.

“The division has embarked on the normal recovery processes to recover wounded soldiers for treatment and to evacuate the bodies of those killed to the morgue.

“The General Officer Commanding was touched by the incident.

“So, he wanted to sympathise with the troop by addressing those present.

“In the process, some soldiers became unruly and began to fire some shots into the air.

“The situation was quickly brought under control and normalcy restored as there was calm in the cantonment and normal operational activities are ongoing.”

Olukolade said the inquiry would come out with exact situation of things based on which the military authorities will take next action.

He described the situation as sad, saying: “The Nigerian Army is poised to uphold its principle of discipline and loyalty to service.”