Comply With Court Order On Reinstatement, Parents Of Expelled Cadets Tell NDA
Parents of the 67 Regular Course cadets withdrawn by the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) have called on the institution to immediately comply with a court judgment ordering the reinstatement of their children and the payment of their entitlements.
The Federal High Court in Kaduna had, on May 18, 2023, ruled in favour of the cadets, directing the NDA to reinstate them and settle all outstanding allowances since their dismissal in 2019.
Also, the Court of Appeal, on March 20, 2025, upheld the verdict, further mandating the NDA to award the cadets their degree certificates and recognize their participation in the academy’s 67th Passing Out Parade held on October 5, 2019.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the aggrieved parents, including Mr Adebayo Onaivi, Daniel Chijoke Obioha, Mrs Margaret Salisu, and Mohammed Ibrahim Daura (the Maradin Daura of Katsina State), appealed to the NDA Commandant, President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, the Minister of Defence, and the Chief of Defence Staff to ensure the judgment is enforced.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mr Adebayo Onaivi expressed frustration over the NDA’s refusal to act despite losing at both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
“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.
“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 stated.
Onaivi argued that the cadets were withdrawn over minor offences after graduation and questioned why the NDA would waste trained personnel at a time when Nigeria faces severe security challenges.
“They trained these children for four years, only to withdraw them over minor offences, 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 that leaving the cadets unemployed and aggrieved could push them toward criminal activities.
“Do they want our children to join bandits or terrorists? These are trained military personnel, why waste them?”he asked.
Onaivi further revealed that the NDA had earlier offered the cadets only their certificates in exchange for dropping the case, but the cadets rejected the offer, insisting on full compliance with the court order.
“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.
He called on the Federal Government to intervene and ensure the NDA obeys the court ruling.
“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.
The aggrieved parents, however, vowed to pursue all legal and diplomatic avenues until justice is served.
Comply With Court Order On Reinstatement, Parents Of Expelled Cadets Tell NDA is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
