Nigerian Army freezes officers’ retirement to combat insecurity

The Nigerian Army has temporarily suspended the statutory and voluntary retirement of certain categories of officers, as a result of the nationwide security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.
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The move, detailed in an internal memo dated December 3, is aimed at retaining experienced manpower and operational capacity of the Armed Forces in order to scale up its response to the fast growing trend of mass abductions and terrorist activities across the country.
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The suspension follows the declaration of a national security emergency by President Tinubu on November 26, in order to strengthen the military and police forces in the wake of over 600 recorded mass abductions in November alone, including the kidnapping of over 300 students in Niger State.
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The directive, signed by Major General E. I. Okoro on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, invoked the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) Officers 2024, which allows for a service extension in the interest of the service (Paragraph 3.10(e)).
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The temporary freeze applies to officers who would ordinarily be required to retire for reasons including, reaching the age ceiling for their rank, completing the 35-year maximum length of service, failing promotion examinations or being passed over by promotion boards multiple times, and also failing conversion boards three times.
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The Army circular states that the extension is not compulsory. Officers in the affected categories who are not interested must continue with normal retirement procedures.
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The memo warns that officers who accept the extension will not be eligible for career progression, including, promotion, career courses, army-sponsored courses and extra-regimental appointments
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Brigadier General Peter Aro (rtd), described this development as a reasonable short-term emergency response. However,  he stressed that without incentives, many may decline the offer. He called for an enhanced salary and welfare package.
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The Nigerian Army stated that the policy would be subject to review as the security landscape across the nation improves.
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