Nigerian Soldiers deployed to fight Boko Haram in North-eastern Nigeria are currently protesting against their superiors in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital and have shut down the local airport there.
Live reports from Maiduguri which is at the Epi-centre of the Boko Haram Insurgency that has lasted for more than three years reveal that angry soldiers are shooting indiscriminately to protest their deployment from the state capital to another local government within the state.
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The aggrieved soldiers had reportedly arrived at the airport around 6pm West African time ahead of their posting to Marte local government area, Borno State, Nigeria; another hotbed of Boko Haram activity.
Trouble however started when the soldiers regrouped at a corner of the Airport and subsequently refused to board the aircraft which ought to convey them to their new theatre of Operations.
The Nigerian soldiers who are members of the Nigerian Army Elite Special forces revealed that having served in the insurgency hot-spot for three years they should have been redeployed to other parts of the country and not to other hot zones within the state.
The soldiers further revealed that they had spent more than four years fighting Boko haram in the region and most of their colleagues had been killed off in ambush attacks and IEDs planted by the Boko haram insurgents in the North-east.
Confirming the incident an officer of the Nigerian Army who witnessed the incident disclosed that the soldiers had threatened their superior officers, including Bulami Biu, General Commanding Officer commander (GOC) of 7 division of Nigeria Army.
The soldiers asked their commanders to stay off the airport or risk being shot.
According to the source who pleaded anonymity,
“The second batch of pilgrims from Borno boarded their flight amid the commotion. The Special Forces are ready for trouble. They are really angry. The superiors were asked to stay off or be killed.”
The Boko haram insurgency has been raging in Nigeria for the past five years with the present Nigerian Federal Government led by President Buhari as well as the leadership of the Nigeria Army claiming victory over the insurgents.
President Buhari and the leadership of the Nigeria Army claimed that Boko haram was broken and unable to carry out large scale attacks or hold any more territory within the Nigerian border.
Boko haram has however renewed large scale attacks on Nigerian soil, killing scores of soldiers in renewed attacks on military bases, towns and army convoys.