A former Nigerian soldier has made shocking charges concerning his dismissal from the Nigerian Army, stating that he was fired just for raising his hand to ask a question following a fatal Boko Haram attack in Baga, Borno State.
During an interview with Lucky Udu, the fired soldier stated that the incident occurred following an onslaught that killed approximately 117 men.
He claimed that after receiving a briefing from his brigade commander, he raised his hand when questions were asked, only to be singled out, disarmed, held, and eventually sacked for supposed disobedience.
The ex-soldier, who stated that he joined the army at the age of 18 and had served in many missions since 2003, claimed that over 300 men from various task force battalions were dismissed under identical conditions.
He claimed that numerous requests to military authorities went unanswered, leaving him homeless and unable to provide for his family.
He further claimed that expectations for redress were dashed following the death of a previous Chief of Army Staff, who had apparently began reviewing their cases.
Read below;
Lucky Udu asked: “Are you a wounded soldier?”
Dismissed soldier said: “Sir, I am not a wounded soldier but I am a dismissed soldier while fighting with Boko Haram soldiers in the northeast, at Baga to be precise.”
Lucky Udu asked: “Why were you dismissed? Did you do something wrong?”
Ex-Soldier said: “I never did anything wrong. Just that after an attack that claimed 117 of my buddies, Our brigade commander came to address us, those of us that survived, when we were at our concentration area at Gubiyo, when he came to address us. After his address, he now asked, if there is any question. I raised my hand, same thing did some other soldiers. He now asked me to come out. As I come out, expecting to ask the question, I was disarmed and taken to my a containment, where I was like chained and handcuffed. After 10 days, my commanding officer came and asked me that I am charged for disobedience to a particular order. And I asked, sir, you were there when the commander asked if there is any question, and I raised my hand, and not only me. He said that his hands are tied, that there is nothing he can do. I have been writing for years now. My family, my children are out of school. As I am, I don’t have home. It’s just any way I see I squat, so as to make a living. As a soldier, I know, I dedicated myself right from my childhood, as a youth, right from the age of 18 years. That is when I joined this job. Since 2003, I have participated in different operations. I have participated in hybrid operations in the four regions. I have participated in operations in different internal operations, and especially that of Medugorje. I was of 118th Task Force Battalion. At that operation, that general that dismissed us, his name is General Jamilo Sarham. He dismissed about 300 and something soldiers. If you need the names, I can bring out their names from 118th and 157th Task Force Battalion in Maiduguri, Baga.”
Lucky Udu: “I don’t understand things about military, but when somebody is dismissed in this manner, is there no somewhere you can go to for an appeal? Is there no place you can go to report?”
Soldier: “Absolutely, there are places you go for to appeal. But unfortunately, we appealed, but nobody answered. There has never been any response. If not for the late Tai Hill, may he still rest in peace, the then chief of army staff. When he came in, he compiled all our name, he was about, he asked us that we should report our judge by Monday. Unfortunately, he died on, I think on Friday, on his way to Depo Nigerian Army for personal parade. So since then, nobody has been answering us. Personally, I have written to the appropriate authority. We call them ASA, Appropriate Superior Authority. I have written on several occasions, but no response to date. I am ashamed even to go down to my hometown. Because knowing that I dedicated myself right from youth out of 18 years.
Lucky Udu: “You joined the army at 18? I joined the army at the age of 18. And then you were just dismissed in this manner?”
Soldier : “Yes, and I was just dismissed. At times I asked myself, most of the times, if I tell you that I’m not, that at times I sit like this, I will be as if something is happening to me. At times I will feel as if I want to grow mad. Because I know the series of attack we face. Our battalion, one way task force battalion, we just spent two days, the third day in Melare and at Tere Tere. We encountered Boko Haram at Tretere. We lost about 115 soldiers. They took us to Gentilo, 118th Force Battalion and 119th. We lost 75 soldiers. At Tunkushe, we lost 300 and something soldiers. Then we were taken. Before we advance with Lieutenant Colonel Abu Ali, the President Colonel Margie that is being held for cue, he was our CEO, the CEO of 118th Task Force Battalion there. He is the one that led us and will capture Baga with Abu Ali there, 2014.”
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