Nigeria, Nov. 3 -- A report early this month from the Military High Command that 16 officers were arrested over issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations is not as trivial or innocuous as it was made to appear.

The said officers are undergoing investigations as a precursor to facing full disciplinary measures, if found culpable, in line with established military procedure.

According to the authorities, the officers' offences were linked to "repeated failure in promotion and perceived career stagnation," and the arrests were described as a mere "routine exercise to preserve professionalism within the Armed Forces." Yet, intelligence sources within the system quietly told the media that the military's official statement was...