Stolen N400m: Army sends missing soldiers’ commander on course

The former General Officer Commanding of the 8 Division, Sokoto State, Maj. Gen. Hakeem Otiki, under whom five soldiers allegedly escaped with about N400m, is undergoing a course at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry, Lagos State.

The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed this to our correspondent through a chat, when asked about Otiki’s whereabouts.

This is just as there is uncertainty over the probe of the funds diverted by the five runaway soldiers as the military has yet to make a public statement on it six weeks after.

The former GOC had been summoned to Abuja in the third week of July and cross-examined by the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Special Intelligence Bureau and the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.

Five soldiers had been confirmed to have carted away a consignment containing the money, while on an escort duty from Sokoto to Kaduna states in the first week of July.

The soldiers had been asked to escort the money and deliver it to a Very-Important Personality in Kaduna State.

The army’s spokesman in 8 Division, Lt. Audu Arigu, had confirmed the incident, adding that investigations had commenced into the incident, while identifying the runaway soldiers as Corporal Gabriel Oluwaniyi, Corporal Mohammed Aminu, one Corporal Haruna, Oluji Joshua and Hayatudeen.

When asked where Otiki was, the army spokesman, Musa, in a chat with our correspondent, said, “Posted to ASCON on course.”

The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, had on July 23 assured Nigerians during a press conference that the outcome of the ongoing investigations on the former GOC would be made public.

However, nothing had been heard of the probe six weeks after.

The acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, had said investigations were ongoing and Nigerians would be duly informed at the end.

“The event of suspected soldiers’ disappearance with some amount of money is being investigated by the appropriate authorities. As I speak to you, investigation is ongoing on the matter and at the end of it, the outcome will be made public when it is concluded. I will not like to pre-empt the outcome by speaking elaborately on it,” Nwachukwu had said.