Posted by BY MOLLY KILETE, Abuja on
A Major in the Nigerian Army will soon appear before a military court martial to tell all he knows about the disappearance of the complete engine of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) under his custody.
A Major in the Nigerian Army will soon appear before a military court martial to tell all he knows about the disappearance of the complete engine of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) under his custody.
The incident happened in one of the battalions of the Nigerian Contingent (NIGGCON) in Liberia , where the officer was posted on a peacekeeping operations.
The officer, who has since been sent home, after the discovery, is cooling off in one of the military detention camps, awaiting court martial.
Saturday Sun gathered that the officer, who belongs to the armour corps of the Nigerian Army, had successfully removed the engine of the APC and replaced it with that of a Mercedes Benz, and sold to some civilian. The officer, it was gathered, would have escaped being caught by security personnel, if a driver was not sent to operate the heavy duty soon after. The driver could not start the engine and complained to the authorities, which called in engineers to check out what may have gone wrong with the tank.
The engineers, thinking that it was one of those usual problems, discovered that the engine of the heavy-duty truck had been swapped.
Alarmed at this discovery, they immediately alerted the authorities. The authorities ordered the arrest of all soldiers assigned to keep watch at the place the APC and other trucks were parked. The Major was fingered.
During interrogation and investigation, it was discovered that the officer was involved in stealing of the APC engine. In order not to go down alone, he was said to have told investigators that he did not act alone in the crime.
The officer, who is said to be very conversant with peace keeping operations and participated and performed excellently in virtually all peacekeeping mission, is a member of the 28 Regular Course, whose course mates are very senior colonels awaiting to wear the rank of a Brigadier-General.
He is said not to have been promoted, as his mates, because of his attitude.