Nigerian Soldiers Fighting Boko Haram Lament Non-Payment Of Allowances, Accuses Army Hierarchy Of Corruption

Some soldiers inducted into the war against Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria’s North-East have lamented about the non-payment of their de-induction allowances.

Flagnews learnt that the soldiers were mobilised from various army formations to fight the terrorists under an operation codenamed “Hadin Kai” comprising the armed forces, the police and paramilitary operatives.

It was further gathered that each personnel inducted into the operation serves a period of two years and is de-inducted with a parting allowance of N1million.

However, some troops of the Nigerian Army who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity have alleged that they had not been paid their de-induction allowances like their counterparts.

They informed that unlike them, their colleagues in the Navy, Air Force and the Nigerian Customs have confirmed to have received N1million each as de-induction payoff.

The soldiers tendered a de-induction form which each one of them was asked to fill with bank details at the end of a two-year operation in the battle field.

They wondered why they were not paid like their counterparts, alleging that fraud was being committed by the Nigerian Army high command.

“You see, when a soldier is inducted into the theater of operations, he is expected to stay for a minimum of two years after which he will be de-inducted and return to his unit. 

“But there is a form that the soldier will fill before leaving, and it is expected that the army will pay some money into the account of every soldier that is de-inducted; but soldiers filled the forms, the hierarchy will put the money in their pockets and make claims that they paid the soldier.

“All the land soldiers have not been collecting but customs, navy and others have been getting N1million at the end of duty.

“Like when we came in, we were like 200 and something. They have not been paying that money and you can’t leave here without filling that form,” an anonymous soldier told SaharaReporters.

Efforts to get the Nigerian Army respond to the allegation were unsuccessful, as several calls to the mobile phone of the spokesperson for the Army, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu were not answered and a text message to that effect was not replied to