Dozens of Nigerian Army officers sacked over corruption

In this Sept. 1, 2015, photo, Nigeria’s former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki attends a hearing to face charges of possessing weapons illegally, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria. Dasuki is accused of diverting $2.1 billion meant to fight the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency. Nigeria has seized more than $10.3 billion in looted cash and assets in the past year under President Muhammadu Buhari’s anticorruption campaign, the information minister announced on June 4. AP

LAGOS, Nigeria—Nigeria’s Army says it is firing many senior officers accused of corruption and stealing billions of dollars meant to buy arms to fight the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency.

Army spokesman Col. Sani Kukesheka Usman says “quite a number” were sacked Friday, mainly major generals, brigadier generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and one major.

He says some were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly diverting billions meant to buy weapons. He says others played partisan roles in the 2015 elections.

Usman did not name those fired in a statement Saturday.

Among officers on trial for corruption is former chief of defense staff Alex Badeh.

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed corruption for the previous government’s failures to curb the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency centered in the northeast.