Several officers, including Major Hamzat Mustapha, former chief security chief to late dictator Sani Abacha, were arrested in April, along with some civilians, following what Obasanjo's spokeswoman Remi Oyo said was a "security breach".

The suspects were interrogated by a military panel for their involvement in the alleged security breach.

Army spokesman Emeka Onwuamaegbu told AFP the panel, which questioned "not less than 10 army officers", had submitted its report, which cleared an the officers, who "have since returned to their formations."

He would not say whether Mustapha was among those cleared.

"I cannot confirm if the major is among those cleared. The report has been forwarded to the president (Olusegun Obasanjo) for further action," he added.

In March, Mustapha was removed by military intelligence officers from a civilian jail, where he was being held on remand on a charge that he and four others ordered the February 1996 attempted murder of newspaper publisher and former internal affairs minister Alex Ibru, for questioning over the alleged plot.

The major was the much feared security chief during Abacha's 1993-1998 distatorship.

WAR.WIRE