No way! Pardoned soldiers reject posting to fight B’Haram

There is resentment brewing among the 3,032 soldiers pardoned for various offences during the campaign against Boko Haram in the North Eastern part of Nigeria last August.

Reports say the soldiers have rejected posting to the troubled zone as they explained that they were never really pardoned and re-integrated into the army, but rather, re-sentenced to the war front.

Tension began to rule the air at the Command and Staff College, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, NASI, Jaji, Kaduna State, when over 3,000 soldiers were summoned by the Commandant of NASI, Major General Kassim Aldulkareem, who informed them that they have been assigned new riffles and should be ready for deployment to the fronts on the 11 January, 2016.

But the soldiers would have non of that as they clamoured to be fully re-instated into the Nigerian army saying since they have been kicked out of the barracks and the army, they haven’t been paid for seven months leaving their families to beg for food.

Reports say some of the soldiers who were in tears gathered saying; “We are not going! Give us re-instatement letters! You are sentencing us back to war.”

With such statements renting the air and the soldiers becoming uncontrollable, reports say the Commandant hurriedly left scene.

A visibly distraught soldier who spoke on the grounds of anonymity told newsmen that fighting for his motherland has been a sad story.

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“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 on 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.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Nigerian Infantry Corps, Major C.K Abaide, said he was unaware of the development.

“I shall reach you back immediately I have our side of the story”, he said, but never did at the time of sending this report.

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