An investigation by SaharaReporters has uncovered one reason why the war against Boko Haram and general insecurity in the North continues to persist.
The online news publication garnered from several anonymous sources reported to be soldiers posted to the North to tackle conflicts, the cause of the inefficiencies on the part of the Nigerian Army.
One soldier is reported to have said, “The whole thing (anti-insurgency operation) amounts to a waste of public funds. The generals in charge are receiving funds for two separate operations and two separate bases, but it is the same operation and the same area of responsibilities. This is a formula for some generals to siphon money.”
Soldiers say the greed of the generals has led to a situation where Boko Haram footsoldiers are better equipped than those charged by the Nigerian State with securing the lives and properties of innocent civilians.
Citing an attack that occurred on February 12th, soldiers told SaharaReporters that the insurgents armed with Night Vision Goggles were picking off army troops who could not see in the dark like sitting ducks.
“They also drove in an armored personnel carrier (APC) with a BMG mounted on it. Their footmen were armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG),” said one source, adding, “The Nigerian Army troops in Izge do not even have an anti-tank weapon let alone an APC.”
The soldiers are said to be poorly fed and rationed only three sachets of pure water a day despite the blazing Northern sun in an area that is closer to dessert.
The soldiers also lack proper barracks housing and live in huts built with mud and grass.
Read the full report on SaharaReporters here