By Sarah NEGEDU
Nearly two years after a Federal High Court judgement mandated the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, to reinstate some cadets of Regular Course 67, who were withdrawn after completing their training in 2019, the institution is yet to comply with the directives.
The cadets, who participated in the NDA’s Passing Out Parade on October 5, 2019, were dismissed over disciplinary issues the court later deemed unjustified.
However, on May 18, 2023, the Federal High Court in Kaduna ordered their reinstatement and the payment of all entitlements. That decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on March 20, 2025, which further directed the NDA to issue the cadets their degree certificates and formally recognize their graduation.
Despite losing at both courts, the NDA has yet to implement the judgments, prompting a renewed call for justice by the cadets’ parents.
At a press conference in Abuja, some aggrieved parents including Mr. Adebayo Onaivi, Daniel Chijoke Obioha, Mrs. Margaret Salisu, and Mohammed Ibrahim Daura, the Maradin Daura of Katsina State, appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, the Minister of Defence, and the Chief of Defence Staff to enforce the rulings.
“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, the Defence Minister, and the Chief of Defence Staff to consider what both court judgments have stated and ensure that justice is served for these children,” said Mr. Adebayo Onaivi, who spoke on behalf of the parents.
“We have already won them in the National Assembly, we went to the Federal High Court, and they gave the same verdict. They (NDA) went to appeal the judgment, and their appeal was dismissed for lack of merit. The judgment is clear,” he added.
Onaivi questioned the logic behind discarding trained officers amid a national security crisis.
“They trained these children for four years, only to withdraw them over minor offenses, which they had already punished them for before the Passing Out Parade. If Boko Haram members can be pardoned, why can’t these cadets be reinstated?” he asked.
He warned of the potential social consequences of leaving trained military personnel idle and marginalized.
“Do they want our children to join bandits or terrorists? These are trained military personnel, why waste them?”
Onaivi also disclosed that the NDA had once offered to issue the cadets their certificates on the condition that they withdraw the case—an offer the cadets rejected.
“I and some parents agreed, but the children refused. They are educated and know their rights. They demanded their full entitlements and proper reinstatement.”
“Even if they do not want to reinstate our children, they should place them in paramilitary organizations, so they can be useful to society and apply their NDA training,” he added.
The parents called on the federal government to intervene and ensure justice is delivered without further delay.
“We appeal to President Tinubu, the National Assembly, and all stakeholders to resolve this issue. These cadets are Nigeria’s future defenders, we cannot abandon them,” he said.
They vowed to continue pursuing every legal and diplomatic avenue until the NDA fully complies with the court’s ruling.
