Military cancels training of female regular combatant cadets

macfranc007 November 13, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 David Oladele

- The Nigerian military is said to phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets

- A serving general in the army said military took the decision due to complaints from some unnamed northern Muslim leaders

- The general said women will never be able to head any of the arms of the Nigerian military If the programme is canceled

The Nigerian military is ready to stop the admission of female cadets into the combatant course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

A set of 20 females, nicknamed Jonathan Queens, were first admitted into the course in Nigeria’s premier military officer training institution during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2011.

Punch reports that the recommendation to end the programme was made by the armed forces council which was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin

It read: “Phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets.”

It was learnt that a serving general in the army that the military took the decision due to complaints from some unnamed northern Muslim leaders.

The general, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, explained that there were various types of commissions.

He said: ''It is only the regular combatant commission that can give an officer the opportunity to aspire to head any of the services or rise to become the chief of defence staff, while the others have limited career path.

''If the military is able to scrap this programme, women will never be able to head any of the arms of the Nigerian military.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app

''The northern Muslim leaders want to prevent a situation where one day, a woman will lead the army and give orders to men.''

Also, the committee for the defence of human rights and the campaign for democracy said the move was a violation of the fundamental human rights of womenfolk.

The CD president, Usman Abdul said: ''We should not allow such proposition to see the light of the day. It is discriminatory and anti-democratic. It offends the human rights privileges.

''It is proper to admit women into full combatant service. We have this in the advanced countries and it is the international best practices.”

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the Headquarters of 28 Task Force Brigade Nigerian army has instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident that resulted in the death of an Officer and a senior non-commission office deployed on duty at Chibok, Borno state.

In a statement released by army spokesperson, General Sani Kukasheka Usman, the unfortunate incident occurred at about 12.50pm Sunday.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV: