The Nigerian soldiers who were pardoned
last year for various offences during the fight against Boko Haram, have all
been posted to the North East to fight Boko Haram. All 3,032 of the soldiers
rejected the posting adding that they were never really pardoned and
re-integrated into the Army, rather, re-sentenced to fight with Boko Haram and
endanger their lives.
The soldiers also claimed that they have
been subjected to unimaginable ill treatment after their pardon. They also said
that since they have been kicked out of the barracks they have not been paid
for seven months hence have been living from hand to mouth.
The Commandant of NASI, Major General
Kassim Aldulkareem, informed them that they have been assigned new riffles and
should be ready for deployment to the fronts on 11 January, 2016.
However, the soldiers complained that they
have not been fully re-instated into the Nigerian Army, because attempts by
them to report to their units were rejected at their bases since they haven’t
been given their re-in-statement letters.
It was gathered that, they cried, “We are
not going! Give us re-in-statement letters! You are sentencing us back to war,”
among others. According to sources, the Commandant hurriedly left when the
soldiers were becoming uncontrollable. One of the soldiers who spoke to some
newsmen said “Look at me; I have put in about 28 years of my life serving this
country. I have seen action in Liberia, I have been to Rwanda, Sudan and even
served overseas and we the Nigerian troops did very well and were decorated in
some occasions.
“But, our experience in fighting to save
our motherland is too sad a story for the outside world to know. We are not
cowards. We held on for over four months facing Boko Haram.
“I
just want to say that after the Army dismissed about 5,000 of us, 3032 of us
were pardoned last August. Since that time, the Army Authority has treated us
like prisoners of wars.“We were told to assemble in Jaji on August 17, which we
did. Then on August 19, the General Officer Commander, GOC, of 1st Infantry
Division, Maj. Gen Adeniyi Oyebade gathered us and without prior noticed moved
us to Nigerian Army training Centre, NATRAC, Kontogora. Some of us found
ourselves there in bathroom slippers. We were just taken straight to the place.
Then, without any additional clothes or uniform, we were subjected to what was
clear punishment, not training for another three weeks.
“Still in the clothes we came, we were
again relocated to 333 artillery Barracks, Njetilo, Maiduguri. We got nothing
but constant insults as cowards. We were there without uniforms no arms. They
just left us there and we were abused and told to assemble at every two hours
through these days for another three weeks.
“In
Jaji, we went through another round of punishment, not training. Yet, we were
not given any letter to show that we are still serving soldiers.
“So
when the Commandant came and said we were going back to the North East, without
clearing our status, we felt we have been punished enough.” he said.
Culled
from exhalenaija.com
No comments:
Post a Comment