Order NDA to Respect Court Ruling on Illegally Dismissed Cadets, Parents Urge President Tinubu

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The parents of the nine cadets of the 67 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in the centre of a controversial dismissal have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Defence and the service chiefs to respect the court judgement reinstating their children to the academy.

The parents, led by Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Daura, the Maradin Daura of Katsina State, lamented that more than a month after the court judgement and years after the National Assembly recommendation, the NDA had refused to implement the court ruling.

It would be recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State had on May 18, 2023 ordered the NDA to pay the dismissed cadets all their entitlements since their dismissal in 2019.

The court said the action of Major General I.M. Yusuf and the NDA respectively to withdraw the cadets from the academy after graduating from and participating in the Passing-Out Parade of the 67th regular course of the NDA was unconstitutional, unlawful and arbitrary and amounted to conviction without trial and/or fair hearing.

It also pronounced that the NDA should immediately reinstate all the dismissed cadets, pay them their accrued entitlements and award them their degree certificates, having completed their studies and having participated in the academic convocation and in the 67th Passing Out Parade of the academy held on October 5, 2019.

While briefing the press, Daura appealed to President Tinubu, the Minister of Defence, and the service chiefs to investigate the matter to ascertain his facts saying, they have everything at hand to show that the children were innocent.

“I had earlier written a petition to the Minister of Defence and all the service chiefs, but unfortunately, we do not know who frustrated the investigation in NDA. That is why I am appealing to the authorities concerned to re-investigate and find out the truth behind the dismissal of our children.

“Because, we know and have evidence to prove that the person behind our children’s problems, especially my son, was Lt. Col. Yusuf Dodo, who was the Academy Adjutant of the NDA. When the problem started, it was not an issue of dossier or party, and we presented the issue to the National Assembly and court. So, if they want to know the truth, they should investigate him, because he was the brain behind everything.

“He was later appointed by former President Buhari to be his ADC. The service chiefs and the Minister of Defence should investigate him and make him answer for his action. We have evidence to support the investigation,” Daura said.

He lamented that two years after the National Assembly resolutions and almost two months since the court judgement, the NDA has not reinstated their children who are still at home when they are supposed to be serving the country like their mates with whom they graduated.

“These children have suffered enough, they should be allowed to go back and complete the NDA course which they have passion for and serve the country they believe in. It is not easy to sacrifice our children to defend the country. Now they have finished their degree in military training, but unfortunately, they were wrongly dismissed from the Nigerian Army,” he stressed.