An Army General and Commander of 3 Brigade Kano, Brigadier General M.A. Sadiq, has been detained in a military guardroom in Abuja for allegedly diverting rice palliatives meant for soldiers.
The general is also being accused of selling military equipment that include generator sets and operational vehicles, to metal scrap dealers.
It was learnt that the Nigerian Defence Headquarters gave the rice to the brigades nationwide for distribution to soldiers as a palliative.
The Defence Headquarters had distributed the rice at least on three occasions to Nigerian soldiers, according to nominal roll.
But Sadiq reportedly shared only 5kg bags once to the soldiers and allegedly sold the remaining batches.
The commander is being accused of carting away equipment, including a MIKANO heavy-duty generator, at Military Training Camp, Falgore, Kano and selling them to metal scrap dealers.
He has since been replaced by a former registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Brigadier General A.M. Tukur.
“Following these allegations, Brigadier General Sadiq has been detained in guardroom and is facing interrogation by the special investigation branch of military police in Abuja.
“He was first invited to Abuja for questioning, and immediately ordered to be locked in the military police guardroom. There are mounting allegations against him.
“Already Brigadier General A.M. Tukur, who previously served as the Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, has been appointed to take charge of the brigade.
“Full scale investigations into the matter are ongoing. He will likely face charges at the court-martial,” the source added.
Spokesperson of the Nigerian Army Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Wednesday in Abuja, said Sadiq is currently undergoing military investigation into administrative discrepancies while serving as Commander of the Brigade.
He said the former brigade commander was relieved of command to ensure a thorough investigation.
Nwachukwu did not, however, give details of the offences committed by Sadiq, but said allegations against Sadiq will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate administrative action will be taken.
“Our commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency remains unwavering.
“We guarantee that the process will be fair, impartial, and in line with our established procedures,” he said.
