afrol News, 31 July - The Nigerian Defence Military has ordered the retirement of 40 military commanders from service, the Defence Spokesman, Col. Mohammed Yusuf, disclosed on Tuesday.

These officers include generals leading the country’s five army units.

"There is no big deal about it, it is a continuous process," Col Yusuf said, dousing allegations from some quarters that the government is living with fears of future coups. He said it is nothing short of normal routine, which is in line with the best military tradition.

Col. Yusuf said armed forces officers must now retire as soon as they attain 60 years.

"They will now try to follow the process very properly, like it did not happen before. Once it is time, there is nothing you can do.”

This action by the new Nigerian government that came to power barely two months ago followed the footsteps of the outgoing leader, Olusegun Obasanjo, who did exactly immediately after came back to power in 1999.

Most Nigerians see the move as a measure to avert a recurrence of a military coup in a country whose history has been synonymous with coups and counter coups since it attained independence from Britain in 1960.

For 28 years, Nigeria has not enjoyed civilian rule and the transfer of power from one civil government to another took place only this year, when Mr Obasanjo passed the leadership baton to Mr Yar’Adua.

But this transfer is not without faults considering the broad daylight fraud of elections that led Mr Yar’Adua to power.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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