Army dismisses 5 soldiers over disappearance of weapons

Five soldiers attached to the Letmauck Cantonment in Mokola, Ibadan, have been dismissed from service by the Nigerian Army following the disappearance of rifles and ammunition during a clearance mission.

According to report by Sahara Reporters, the affected personnel—all holding the rank of Private—were said to have gone missing for three days while deployed for an official operation, each equipped with a rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition.

The incident has prompted heightened internal investigations, raising questions around operational security and oversight within the military.

Details gathered from military sources revealed the names and regimental numbers of some of the dismissed personnel: B. Bright – Regimental Army Number 19NA/78/030…, Musa – Regimental Army Number 23NA/84/22…; A. Najib – Regimental Army Number 23NA/84/28…; A. Abdullahi – Regimental Army Number 2344/84/3… (dismissed on June 21, 2025), along with one other individual whose name was not disclosed.

It remains unclear whether the weapons and ammunition have been retrieved, and the current location of the dismissed soldiers has not been made public by military authorities.

The online newspaper had reported how three former soldiers dismissed by the Nigerian Army recently appealed to military authorities for redress and reinstatement, alleging that they were victims of an unjust trial process during the court martial that led to their dismissal.

According to that earlier report, the ex-soldiers stated they were discharged due to missing weapons.

The ex-soldiers—13NA/69/1668 Lance Corporal Sadiq Saidu, 17NA/76/4932 Lance Corporal D. Danjuma, and 15NA/74/35.. Lance Corporal G. Awyetu—had called for a review of their case, citing procedural lapses and what they described as a miscarriage of justice following a deadly ambush in December 2021 while on deployment under Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) in Zamfara State.