Brigadier General Sadiq Arrested: Inside the Allegations of Stolen Palliative Rice and Military Equipment
Top Nigerian Army Officer Brigadier General Sadiq in Custody Over Palliative Rice Scandal.
A Nigerian military officer, Brigadier General M.A. Sadiq, has been detained in Abuja amid allegations of diverting rice palliatives and selling military equipment, including operational vehicles and generator sets.
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According to Daily Nigerian, the rice, provided by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, was intended for distribution to soldiers in various brigades as a palliative measure, but General Sadiq allegedly withheld the supplies from troops in Kano State.
In addition to the rice, Sadiq is accused of stealing other military assets, such as a MIKANO heavy-duty generator from the Military Training Camp in Falgore, Kano, and selling them to scrap dealers.
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Following the accusations, Brigadier General A.M. Tukur, the former registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has been appointed to replace Sadiq at the 3 Brigade in Kano.
A source revealed that Sadiq is currently being interrogated by the special investigation branch of the military police in Abuja.
“He was first summoned to Abuja for questioning, after which he was detained in the military police guardroom. There are mounting allegations against him,” the source noted. Full investigations are ongoing, and Sadiq may face charges in a court-martial.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has yet to formally comment on the matter.
This incident comes in the wake of growing concerns about the military’s morale.
In September, nearly 200 soldiers from various regions, including the North-East, had applied for voluntary retirement, citing low morale.
Many of these soldiers reportedly expressed interest in joining foreign military forces, such as the British and Ukrainian armies.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has since approved their disengagement from the Nigerian Army.
