Lagos troops refuse transfer to Borno to fight Boko Haram until their allowances are paid

SOLDIERS serving with the 55th Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Lagos have refused to be posted to Maiduguri to participate in the fight against Boko Haram unless their allowances are paid upfront prior to their departure.

 

In the latest embarrassing development for the government and military high command, about 200 troops belonging to the battalion stationed at its Bonny Camp base in Lagos Island are insisting that their three months allowances arrears be cleared before they depart. They are part of a 800-strong contingent that just returned from Darfur, Sudan where they had gone to for a peace keeping operation.

 

Upon their return, the soldiers were redeployed to the northeast to join the battle against Boko Haram insurgents. Expected to depart for Maiduguri today, the troops are commanded by Lt Col H Dasuki, who is said to be related to the former national security adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki.

 

However, the soldiers said they would not proceed to Maiduguri except their allowances for the Sudan operation were paid. This, they argued, would enable them to leave money behind for their families as they do not know how long they would be engaged for.

 

One military source said such posting without payment of allowances was not acceptable to the high command as it was contrary to a directive from defence headquarters. Reacting to the subtle protest, the public relations officer of the 81 Division, Lt Col Kingsley Samuel, said that the soldiers who returned from foreign mission in Sudan were not involved in such a protest.

 

He said that that there was no grumbling whatsoever in the Bonny Camp, adding that reports to that effect were not true. This is not the first time soldiers fighting Boko Haram have complained about not being paid their due allowances before sent to the battle front.