Some serving personnel of the Nigerian Army have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the National Assembly and top defence authorities over what they described as an alleged unofficial embargo on voluntary discharge from military service.
The soldiers, however, accused the Army of unlawfully retaining personnel who have applied to leave the force.
In a petition exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, on Wednesday, the soldiers urged the President, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to order an immediate investigation into what they called the prolonged delay and alleged refusal to process voluntary discharge applications submitted by eligible personnel.
The petition, titled “Urgent Petition for Investigation into the Alleged Unlawful Restriction, Delay and Withholding of Voluntary Discharge of Nigerian Army Personnel,” was also addressed to the President of the Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the House Committee on Army, the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.
According to the petitioners, the alleged delays began after the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on October 30, 2025.
The soldiers alleged that since his assumption of office, “an unofficial restriction appears to have been placed on the processing and release of voluntary discharge applications.”
They stated that numerous personnel who had formally applied to leave military service through established administrative procedures had remained in limbo, with their applications allegedly left unattended or deliberately delayed.
The affected soldiers insisted that they were not attempting to desert military service or evade their responsibilities.
The petition added, “These soldiers are not proceeding on AWOL, absconding from duty, abandoning their responsibilities, or acting against military discipline. They are simply requesting to be discharged from the service through the recognised administrative procedure provided by the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
According to the petition, many of the affected personnel had completed years of service and now wished to pursue legitimate civilian careers and personal aspirations.
The soldiers said those seeking discharge planned to further their education, accept employment opportunities, establish businesses, engage in agriculture, relocate, care for ageing parents and undertake other lawful pursuits outside military service.
They warned that the alleged refusal to process discharge requests had imposed severe personal and economic consequences on affected personnel.
The petition listed the effects to include: “Loss of civil career and employment opportunities, loss of academic admissions, financial hardship due to uncertainty over their discharge status, emotional distress among personnel and their families, and missed opportunities that cannot be recovered.”
The petitioners argued that while members of the Armed Forces are governed by military regulations, those rules should be implemented fairly and in accordance with the law.
They cited Sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantee the dignity of the human person and personal liberty, while also referring to the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service governing the Armed Forces.
According to the soldiers, the Army’s responsibility to maintain operational effectiveness should not become a permanent basis for preventing qualified personnel from voluntarily leaving service.
They noted that the Nigerian Army continues to recruit new personnel through regular enlistment exercises and military training depots across the country.
“Therefore, the argument of manpower shortage cannot reasonably justify an indefinite restriction on voluntary discharge,” the petition stated.
The soldiers further warned that compelling unwilling personnel to remain in service could negatively affect morale and operational effectiveness.
“The continued retention of soldiers who have already made a personal and professional decision to leave the service may also create a negative effect on morale, commitment, discipline and operational efficiency, as personnel who feel trapped in a system may struggle to maintain the required psychological readiness expected of military professionals,” the petitioners stated.
The petitioners called on President Tinubu to direct an immediate investigation into the alleged embargo and urged the National Assembly to summon the Chief of Army Staff to explain the reasons behind the reported delays.
Specifically, they demanded: “That all pending voluntary discharge applications be reviewed immediately and all personnel who have fulfilled the requirements be released without further unnecessary delay.”
They also requested that the Army establish a transparent timeline for processing future discharge applications and ensure that no soldier who had complied with administrative procedures would be subjected to indefinite retention without lawful justification.
“The Nigerian Army is an institution founded on discipline, justice, fairness and professionalism. Respecting lawful administrative processes while protecting the welfare and legitimate rights of its personnel strengthens the institution rather than weakening it,” the petition added.
The soldiers appealed to the President and other relevant authorities to intervene urgently to ensure “justice, fairness and due process prevail in this matter.”
