By Ismail Auwal
Soldiers in Maiduguri have protested the non-payment of allowances and poor equipments after their posting to a location in the Theatre of Operation.
The distressed soldiers, according to sources at the Maimalari barracks surrounded the headquarters of the Theatre Command in Borno State, shooting sporadically into the air on Thursday night following their deployment.
Some of the soldiers who spoke under anonymity recalled how a whole unit that went for reinforcement when Marte was captured last month, perished under superior firepower of the enemy forces.
The Media Coordinator for Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Ado Isa, confirmed this to Channels Television via a text message on Friday.
While blaming the protest on the soldiers’ minor admin/welfare, he said the issues were promptly addressed.
This protest is coming on the heels of arms procurement scandal recently exposed by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, where both the outgoing and incoming service chiefs said they are in the dark on the whereabouts of the funds or equipment.
No less than ₦1 billion was released for the procurement according to Monguno, a retired Major General.
