A Nigerian military commander, Brigadier General M.A. Sadiq of the 3 Brigade in Kano State, is currently detained in a military police guardroom in Abuja over allegations of diverting rice palliatives and selling military equipment, including generator sets and operational vehicles, to scrap yards.
According to reports from the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, the rice was allocated to brigades nationwide for distribution to soldiers as a palliative measure. However, General Sadiq allegedly refused to share these resources with his personnel in Kano State, raising concerns about his actions.
Additionally, it has come to light that the general reportedly stole various official military equipment, including a heavy-duty MIKANO generator from the Military Training Camp in Falgore, Kano, which he subsequently sold to metal scrap dealers.
As a result of these allegations, Brigadier General Sadiq has been relieved of his duties and replaced by Brigadier General A.M. Tukur, a former registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Sources indicate that General Sadiq has been detained for interrogation by the special investigation branch of military police in Abuja, where he faces multiple allegations.
An insider noted, “Following these allegations, Brigadier General Sadiq has been detained in the guardroom and is undergoing questioning. He was first invited to Abuja for an inquiry, and subsequently ordered to be confined. The allegations against him are mounting.”
The investigation into the matter is ongoing, and it is anticipated that he may face charges at a court-martial. The Defence Headquarters has yet to issue a formal comment on this development.
In related news, SaharaReporters previously reported that nearly 196 soldiers from the North-East and other operational theaters have requested voluntary retirement from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja. This mass resignation reflects worsening security challenges facing the military across Nigeria, with many soldiers expressing low morale and interest in joining the armed forces of other countries, including the British Army and the Ukrainian Army. These soldiers, all of junior ranks, have had their requests for formal disengagement approved by the Chief of Army Staff.
