About 25 Nigerian Soldiers Operating Armored Tanks, Other War Vehicles Resign Amid Corruption Allegations Against Army Authorities
A total of 25 soldiers are exiting the Nigerian Army despite the worsening security challenges the military is currently facing in some parts of the country a local news media has gathered.
In the list exclusively obtained by the local news media, the soldiers are all from the Nigerian Army Armored Corps (NAAC) and belong to junior cadres. Soldiers in junior cadres are the ones mostly Sent to the war front.
In the past, army personnel deployed for counter-insurgency operations had lamented that those who were to relieve them many months after they were asked to leave the battlefield refused to resume.
The soldiers complained that they were being forced to confront Boko Haram militants, adding that their low morale and lack of willingness to continue to fight made it possible for the terrorists to dislodge some military camps recently.
More soldiers are resigning voluntarily due to the ill treatment by superiors and corruption in Nigeria Army. Imagine the recent list, they are all from the armored corps, 25 people trained for years on how to operate different war vehicles, armored tanks are leaving just like that, so unfortunate,” a soldier told SaharaReporters on Tuesday night.
The Chief of Army Staff has since approved their formal disengagement.
The approval of their voluntary disengagement dated July 27, 2023, was signed by Colonel Y Datikum. According to the approval, the 25 soldiers are to submit all military properties in their possession.
“Consequently, I am directed to request formations and units to release all affected soldiers to report at the Headquarters, Garrison, with their unit service documents for documentation,” the internal signal signed by Datikum read.
There have been allegations of corruption in the Nigerian Army which some of the soldiers have blamed on the issue – soldiers overstaying in the Northeast.
According to some soldiers, the army is the epitome of deep-seated corruption. They noted that corruption is affecting the prosecution of the anti-terrorism war in Northeast Nigeria.
In 2022, some army personnel also accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to check corruption and financial mismanagement among some top military officers while soldiers continue to cry on a daily basis.
The soldiers in an open letter to the President accused top army officers of corruption and extortion.
They said despite their numerous complaints, nobody was saying anything about their unpaid allowances by the military finance corps.
In the last 12 months, over 1,000 soldiers in Northeast Nigeria and other theatres of operation have resigned from the Nigerian Army.
