News
Military Releases 142 Soldiers Detained for Years Without Trial
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian military has released many of the 142 soldiers who had been detained for offenses ranging from 18 months to five years without trial.
The soldiers, who were accused of various offenses such as stealing or losing weapons to insurgents, had been in detention for prolonged periods, with some on “open arrests.”
This release follows a recent visit by Major General A.G.L. Haruna, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7 Division in Maiduguri, and Major General W. Shaibu, Theatre Commander. Together with Major V.L. Williams, Deputy Director of Legal Services, they visited detention centers holding the soldiers.
The release is part of an effort to address public outcry regarding the prolonged detention. In response, the military set up a court-martial under Major General A.C. Adetoba to expedite trials, although not all detained soldiers have been tried.
The court-martial commenced in July 2024 with a panel of senior military officers. However, some soldiers have been recommended for release due to the minor nature of their offenses or because they were not rotated or given time off during extended deployments.
The soldiers’ cases highlight the mental and physical toll the prolonged deployments and lack of leave have taken on them, with some soldiers suffering from war fatigue, depression, and the breakdown of family life due to their absence. Many have not seen their families in over two years, and some report that their marriages have dissolved during their long absences. There is also concern over inadequate welfare and feeding arrangements, with some commanders neglecting the troops’ well-being.
As the fight against Boko Haram continues, the military is under pressure to address these welfare concerns and ensure that soldiers are treated fairly while on duty.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate implementation of the revised procurement thresholds for Ministries, Departments and Agencies [MDAs].
The approval is based on the recommendation by the Director General of Bureau for Public Procurement [BPP] Dr Adedokun Adebowale, in alignment with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The details of the implementation guidelines will be provided by the DG of the BPP on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has removed a foreign national, Elie Bitar, from the wanted list for Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) fraud.
The anti-graft agency had on April 30 declared Bitar wanted over the alleged fraud perpetrated on the CBEX trading platform.
The EFCC included Bitrar’s name in the wanted notice it published across social media platforms.
The agency, in a now deleted post on its X handle signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said Bitar’s last known address was in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday EFCC spokesperson said Bitar’s name has been removed from the wanted list, citing the availability of new information.
“Ellie Bitar of CBEX Solutions Ltd., who was earlier declared wanted, has since been removed from the list owing to new information that does not support his inclusion in the wanted person’s list.
“The Commission is making good progress in its investigations. Law enforcement agencies across the world are collaborating with it in tracking and arresting all the wanted persons. The EFCC will not relent in bringing every actor involved in the fraudulent dealings to book,” the statement read in part.
According to Oyewale, the anti-graft agency is “gaining important ground” in the search for the eight persons declared wanted over the CBEX fraud.
Several videos online had shown some Nigerians raising the alarm over the loss of their funds to the CBEX scheme when it reportedly crashed in April.
As part of its investigations into the matter, the EFCC had declared eight persons wanted over their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform.
The Federal High Court in Abuja also granted the agency’s request to arrest and detain persons found promoting the CBEX scheme.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of forest guards and commencement of their employment to secure the 1,129 forests in the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, revealed that the President directed that the forest guards are to be well trained and armed to perform their duties, which is essentially to flush out terrorists and criminal gangs hiding inside the forests for criminal activities.
According to Dare, the recruitment is a security collaborative effort between the federal and state governments.
“The office of the NSA and the Ministry of Environment have been directed to take charge and ensure full implementation,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson said thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the outfit.
“President Tinubu had warned terrorists that his administration would not surrender an inch of the country’s territory to terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests. President Tinubu vowed that the country would take back its forests,” he said.
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