Seaman Abbas Haruna, a naval rating who is said to have been detained for approximately six years by the Nigerian Military, has been allegedly granted freedom.
Naijaonpoint understands that Haruna’s freedom came after the Nigerian Navy’s leadership approved certain decisions regarding the matter.
On Friday, Haruna and his spouse appeared on a well-known radio station in Abuja to affirm his release from confinement.
During their account of their challenges, the couple revealed that they had been removed from their barracks due to the ongoing issues surrounding Haruna’s detention.
Haruna’s wife expressed her unwavering support, stating, “I will stand by him regardless of the circumstances. He has been released. We were forced out of the barracks. My love for my husband remains strong.”
A senior official at the Naval headquarters who spoke to Daily Trust on the matter disclosed that Haruna has been dismissed from the naval service, indicating that he is no longer part of Nigeria’s armed forces.
When asked about the claim made by Haruna’s wife regarding their eviction from the barracks, the senior officer refrained from providing any comments.
Attempts by the media platform to obtain an official response to this new assertion were unsuccessful, as calls to the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, went unanswered.
He had not responded to a text message sent before the publication of this report.
Naijaonpoint reports that Haruna’s wife, Hussaina Iliya, had previously accused the military of wrongfully detaining her husband since 2018 during a radio broadcast. Shortly thereafter, the Defence Headquarters stated that Haruna had never been arrested.
However, a video surfaced where the embattled Seaman was seen actively resisting being disarmed by some personnel and several shots were later fired.
Iliya accused a senior military officer, Brig. Gen. A.S. Adamu, of ordering her husband’s detention and torture.
Her claims went viral, prompting Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to order an investigation into the matter.