Army council in dilemma over Goodluck Jonathan’s former ADC

– The army council has been divided over the disciplinary matter concerning Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, a former aide-de-camp (ADC) to the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan

– According to a source, members of the council are torn between meting out sanctions on Colonel Adegbe and pardoning him

–  The army’s spokesman denied the alleged division in taking any decision concerning Colonel Adegbe in his ongoing trial

Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, a former aide-de-camp (ADC) to the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

The Nigerian army council has been divided over the disciplinary matter concerning Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, a former aide-de-camp (ADC) to the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

Adegbe who was released from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detention two weeks ago appeared before the council to give an account of his alleged involvement in the arms deal scandal.

Leadership reports that the council had a hard time reaching a common ground over the case.

According to the Nigerian army act, the council should be responsible for the command, discipline, administration and all other matters relating to the army.

The army council should consist of the minister of defence who shall be the chairman; the chief of defence staff who shall be the vice-chairman; and the chief of army staff, while the permanent secretary of the ministry of defence shall be the secretary to the council.

READ ALSO: Goodluck Jonathan’s ADC moved from EFCC to military

However, the Nigeria army denied the alleged division in taking any decision concerning Colonel Adegbe in his ongoing trial.

When contacted on Sunday March 27, Colonel Sani Usman, the acting director army public relations, said that he was shocked to hear about the existence of such council.

“I really don’t know where these kinds of rumours emanate. Honestly, I am not aware of any council or body constituted to sit on this issue. All I know is that the army is a discipline body and it is guided by both military and civil laws under which any erring officer or soldiers can be subjected whenever they are found wanting”.

“All we know is that the army under the current command of the chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is highly committed to rules of law, that is why any officer found wanting in the discharge of his job is not shielded from the arms of law – be it military or civil,” he said,

However, a source familiar with the development revealed that the members of the council were torn between meting out sanctions on Colonel Adegbe and pardoning him.

“The former ADC faces likely dismissal but the army council is in a dilemma over his case. Members of the council are divided on this matter.

“While some are of the view that he should be dismissed, others say he did no wrong. The argument of those who are against his dismissal is that he was only obeying directives from his commander in chief,” the source said.

READ ALSO: Why ex-president Jonathan may be prosecuted by President Buhari

Another senior officer of the army, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the former ADC should not be treated as if he was a special officer or citizen, and stressed that the council could not be divided over his issue.

“This officer in question is just a young colonel in the army; so what is so special about him that the army has to constitute a panel or council to decide his fate, to the extent that the army will be said to have been divided over his matter?

“If generals and even a former defence chief in this country are being tried at the EFCC, what is the big deal about a colonel? Look, the media must desist from this attitude of arrogating some unnecessary recognition to persons or officers that don’t deserve such. Colonel Adegbe was the ADC to a former president; and so what? Does that make him an officer above the law? No! As far as we in the army are concerned, he is not a big deal at all; no one is even talking about him,” he said.

Adegbe was arrested by the EFCC in February 2015. However, after pressure by his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, to release his client in respect of his human rights, the anti-graft agency handed over the former ADC to the army, where he was kept in a military detention facility.

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