Nigerian Army general asks for removal of General heading a panel investigating him over theft of N400m

At the opening of a court-martial at the army officers’ mess located at Asokoro in Abuja on Tuesday September 17, Hakeem Otiki, the major-general standing trial over the alleged theft of N400m asked for the removal of Lamidi Adeosun, a lieutenant-general heading the panel investigating him. 

Femi Oyebanjo, a retired major and counsel to Otiki who was accused of instructing five soldiers to escape with millions meant to be transported to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, asked for removal of Adeosun from the panel due to the unending grudge between him and his client. 

“We have it on good authority that you bear grudge against our client. We have this deep feeling that he may not get a fair trial under your leadership,” he said. 

“The reasons are as follows: it is a known fact that general Otiki got into Nigerian Defence Academy on 10th January 1983 while you got in on  4th July 1983. He got in there before you. It is a fact that General Otiki actually pitied you, established and trained you.

“We have this feeling that that grudge is still there. More so that general Otiki took over from you as the corp commander, infantry. We still believe that because this grudge has been there since then and because of this grudge, when you were promoted, lt. general, he sent you a text message to congratulate you but you did not respond.

“In addition to that sir, it is a fact that by the time we go into this trial proper, certain issues will certainly come up and these are issues that affect your office as chief of operations, Nigerian army which you left before you got to where you are presently. What am I staying sir, it is a fact, sir, that general Otiki as the GOC commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian army conducted operation Sharan Daji. He also conducted operation Harbin Kunama III.”

Also arguing that these were offices directly under Adeosun’s command as chief of operation, Daily Trust reported that Oyebanjo stated that the operations listed were going to come up in the course of the trial. 

“Finally sir, it is also a known fact,  that as at the time general Otiki took over from you as the corp commander infantry brigade, he inherited your security personnel, your soldiers that formed the inner security of general Otiki. 

“These are the same personnel that formed the reasons why we are here. They are actually your soldiers, your personal aides; the soldiers he took over from you, these soldiers are the basis why we are here today. My lord, we say on the basis of all these, you are going to be part and parcel of this trial, we are going to to be talking and referring to you. 

“If you are going to do this job, there is no way you are not going to feature prominently. There is no way we will not talk about those soldiers, they were your aides, there is no way we will not talk about operations” Oyebanjo added. 

It is speculated that the unending grudge between the two generals stems from who will succeed Tukur Buratai as chief of army staff. However recall that Adeosun was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general (same rank as Buratai) in July by President Buhari, giving him a good footing in the race for the next Army Chief.