Following the reports of resignations by many officers and men amid the security challenges facing the country, the Nigerian Army has said it will no longer tolerate loss of interest in military service or lack of promotion as the basis for discharge.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen General Farouk Yahaya, in a letter addressed to various departments, formations of the Nigerian Army and the Ministry of Defence, said service personnel leaving the service at will did not augur well for the Army.

In the letter dated December 23, 2022, signed by Brig. Gen. Oladapo Oyelade, the COAS argued that officers leaving the Army must advance cogent reasons, stressing that loss of interest in military service would no longer be accepted.

Though he acknowledged that military service was voluntary in Nigeria, the army chief noted that  opting out without serving the length of years prescribed in the military was inimical to the service considering the resources and efforts that had been put into training most of the applicants, which was meant to be utilised for the benefits of the system.

Yahaya, therefore, warned that requests for discharge or retirement without cogent reasons would no longer be entertained or granted by the Discharge Board, which assesses applications.

The letter read, “Military service in Nigeria is a voluntary service. Accordingly, able-bodied men and women apply to join to serve the colour after which they apply for re-engagement or choose to voluntarily discharge. Others in the course of service decide to go on retirement or discharge before their run out date.

“Going by the NA Forecast of Events, the Discharged Board is designed to hold quarterly to afford personnel opportunities to disengage for several reasons other than completion of ROD. The Board exercise is held bi-annually first to gather appreciable numbers of applicants, who may wish to disengage, and to be treated in bulk, while also ensuring that the process is handled in a controlled and uniformed manner.