Nigerian Army dismisses 5 soldiers over missing rifles, ammunition in Ibadan

In a move that has sparked concerns about internal security lapses, the Nigerian Army has dismissed five soldiers attached to Letmauck Cantonment in Mokola, Ibadan, following the mysterious disappearance of rifles and ammunition during an official clearance mission.

According to a report by Sahara Reporters, the dismissed personnel all ranked as Privates were deployed on a sanctioned operation but allegedly went missing for three days, each carrying a rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition.

The soldiers’ sudden disappearance and the loss of military equipment have triggered a wave of internal investigations, with authorities scrambling to uncover the circumstances behind the breach.

Details gathered from military sources revealed the names and regimental numbers of some of the dismissed personnel: B. Bright – Regimental Army Number 19NA/78/030…, Musa – Regimental Army Number 23NA/84/22…; A. Najib – Regimental Army Number 23NA/84/28…; A. Abdullahi – Regimental Army Number 2344/84/3… (dismissed on June 21, 2025), along with one other individual whose name was not disclosed.

It remains unclear whether the weapons and ammunition have been retrieved, and the current location of the dismissed soldiers has not been made public by military authorities.

The online newspaper had reported how three former soldiers dismissed by the Nigerian Army recently appealed to military authorities for redress and reinstatement, alleging that they were victims of an unjust trial process during the court martial that led to their dismissal.

According to that earlier report, the ex-soldiers stated they were discharged due to missing weapons.

The ex-soldiers—13NA/69/1668 Lance Corporal Sadiq Saidu, 17NA/76/4932 Lance Corporal D. Danjuma, and 15NA/74/35.. Lance Corporal G. Awyetu—had called for a review of their case, citing procedural lapses and what they described as a miscarriage of justice following a deadly ambush in December 2021 while on deployment under Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) in Zamfara State.