Sacked female Captain sues army for N1billion

Nigerian first female soldier paratrooper, Captain Terkumbur Josephine Ancha has dragged the Nigerian Army and Defence Minister before the National Industrial Court (NIC) where she is demanding N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for unlawful retirement from service.
Other defendants in the suit slated for hearing this morning are Chief of Army Staff, Army Council, and Chief of Defence Staff.

The 43-year-old award winning paratrooper was sacked by the Military command on the ground that bottles of alcohol were found on board the aircraft that lifted Nigerian contingents [including her] to Darfur, Sudan.
In the suit, she is pressing for an order of court declaring her purported compulsory retirement without trial as ineffective, unlawful, null and void, and that her contract of employment being protracted by statute, can only be terminated in accordance with laid down statutory procedure.

The plaintiff was among the 50 Nigerian women that were honoured by President Goodluck Jonathan on the 50th anniversary of the country and also the first female soldier inducted into the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame.
Her travails began on August 25, 2009, when she and the commanding officer, Lt. Col B.Y. Sakaba, were recalled to Nigeria and arrested on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

They were subsequently detained for three months at the headquarters garrison officers’ mess at the Mogadishu Barracks, Asokoro. She was later sacked on October 20, 2009 and later retired on November 17, 2009, an action which ignited the suit. On board that aircraft were seven officers and 154 soldiers, and the plaintiff wonders why she would be the only one relieved of her job.

“According to the plaintiff, she was detained alongside male officers for three months under dehumanizing and degrading conditions without being informed of her offence. “No sanitary pads were supplied to me, even though the Army authorities knew I was a young woman,” she revealed.

“Even from the flight manifest, seven officers and 154 soldiers were on board the aircraft that allegedly carried the alcoholic drinks to Darfur, only the plaintiff and Lt. Col B.Y Sakaba (who was not even on the aircraft but had travelled to Darfur about three days earlier), were arrested, detained and eventually punished,” affidavit revealed.
She stressed that nobody has alleged till date that the offensive luggage belonged to the plaintiff or that she was the one that ensured it was ferried to Sudan.

“I took only two bags containing my personal clothes and Army regalia to Sudan in that aircraft. While in detention, a letter of compulsory retirement dated 20th October, 2009, was served on me, indicating that I was compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Army.”

The embattled litigant is praying the court for an order quashing the compulsory retirement with ignominy, as well as reinstating her forthwith her rank as Captain in the Nigerian Army, and a further order directing the Army to place her on the current rank and or position she would have been, but for her unlawful retirement hereby being challenged, with full and or associated rights, privileges or benefits that may accrue or ought to have accrued her.

-SunNewsOnline

9 COMMENTS

  1. How time flies. I met Terkumbur Josephine Ancha in Enugu in 2000 during the Nigeria Army Day celebration. The she was a coporal and was introduced as the first female paratrooper. I was so impress with her then. Well i think she is a victim of fornicating officers who always get their way by sacking any female soldier who refuse there advances. It is a pity. The president should look into this. She ia not just the first Nigeria but the first Africa female paratrooper.

  2. Very, very unfortunate this is one out of thousands of similar cases that are hardly reported,the Navy,Air force,Police etc are filled with randy cowboys in the name of Officers who delight in bullying the females among them for sex grtatifications,these ring use their female colleaques as sex toys ours is a society in need of moral upright leaders.

  3. let the officer that issued to her a sacking latter while in detention should also be sacked and detained for depriving her job and as well sex embarrassment because noting else will bring problem if not her refusing to be sex around like dog

  4. Who wants to be a millionaire? The Cook of course. His employer should be made to answer some questions where the N68m come from, what is it doing in his house if the CBN has licensed him to open a bank in his house. If the money is a clean goten money it should be in the Bank. Cashless Economy the almighty SLS of CBN over to you.

  5. @ Gen. Andy, u are right. When has it become a crime to drink in Nigeria. @ Jones. U are right there was nothing in her statement suggesting sex allegations but if u look at it critically u will know the course of it all. She was arrested with an officer, nothing happened to the officer and also there were a hundred plus soldiers in the plane, why she? That is the question