On Wednesday, the Nigerian Senate dismissed a petition filed by former naval officer Mr. Ewato Flaubert Oluwadolapo, who sought reinstatement into the Nigerian Navy after being dismissed in 2022. The decision followed the Senate’s review and adoption of the report from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, which investigated the matter.
Oluwadolapo’s petition alleged wrongful dismissal without fair hearing and non-payment of his salaries and allowances. He urged the Senate to direct the Nigerian Navy to reinstate him and settle all outstanding payments. However, the committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP – Edo South), found no merit in the petition.
The committee’s investigation revealed that Mr. Oluwadolapo had served in the Nigerian Navy since January 2013 until his dismissal was confirmed by the Chief of Naval Staff on June 16, 2022. His dismissal followed a series of infractions, including being Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) for over a year and abandoning his duty post while serving on the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Lugard Banda in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The report detailed that Mr. Oluwadolapo had been demoted from the rank of Seaman to Ordinary Seaman after being found guilty of going AWOL from June 1, 2020, to June 27, 2021. Further investigation revealed that the officer had mounted an illegal roadblock along the Lokoja-Abuja road in August 2021, where he allegedly extorted money from motorists. The officer reportedly confessed in a handwritten statement that financial difficulties had driven him to engage in this illegal activity.
The committee emphasized that Mr. Oluwadolapo’s dismissal was not solely based on his AWOL but rather on the illegal roadblock, which was considered a serious breach of conduct. He was summarily tried and found guilty of the offense.
In its final recommendation, the committee urged the Senate to dismiss the petition due to its lack of merit. When Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the recommendation to a voice vote, the Senate approved the committee’s decision to dismiss the petition.
This ruling highlights the Senate’s commitment to upholding military discipline and ensuring that due process is followed in the armed forces. The dismissal of Oluwadolapo’s petition reinforces the importance of accountability within the Nigerian Navy.
