Soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North East
have revealed details about the mass killings of their colleagues due to poor
firepower and inadequate equipment to combat the insurgents.
The soldiers in their lamentation said that efforts to clear
remnants of Boko Haram fighters fleeing the Sambisa forest for safe haven in
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital were being frustrated as they had to most of
the time put their lives on the line.
Lamenting further on their ordeal, a soldier, who pleaded
anonymous said on Thursday that, contrary to claims by their superiors that
there was laxity among the soldiers in the ongoing fight to totally defeat Boko
Haram, the soldiers are always battle ready to face all kinds of situation that
demands their calling, but are often frustrated when what they have to confront
the insurgents cannot in the real sense carry out the task.
According to him,"Enlisting into the Army, every foot
soldier knows his duty. To go to any operation in defence of his or her
country. Fighting Boko Haram is like any other war that needs all the support
and equipment. But in a situation whereby a soldier is left with only AK47
rifle, which has a shooting range of 33m to face a Boko Haram fighter using
AA, you know, there is definitely no win for the soldier. AA can travel
thousands of meters and with that; they can bring down a soldier. A soldier’s
rifle cannot bring down Boko Haram that is not within its shooting range.”
He said, very few of them, who were deployed to fight Boko
Haram insurgents, who arrived the theatre of war on January 10, 2012 are still
alive today. “I have buried many of my comrades in trenches in Gumbali, in
Benisheikh, in Bama and in Konduga. I have been posted from one battle front to
another. Many of us who have no godfather in the army have to face this. They
send us to go and die, some of us that died have been buried with no proper
military burial. Their families are yet to know whether they are alive or dead.
The military has no proper record of those who died in this ongoing military
campaign against Boko Haram.
"Like I said, we buried hundreds tagged unknown in our
trenches. Look at this picture in my handset. These are soldiers, who died and
were lucky to have been evacuated for proper burial. Some of them, whenever
their families call, they would be told that they are in the bush fighting. But
the truth is that, they have been killed not because they do not know how to
fight, but very often, because they have no enough firepower when they came
under attack,” he added.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
It is a pity. No wonder a soldier threatened to disown his son if he dare joins army. Hm. What else can I say other than may God in His infinite mercy see our FOOT SOLDIERS, who don't have GOD FATHERS through.
ReplyDeleteWhy are our fellow Nigerians this wicked?
ReplyDeleteGod save us in this country monkey dey work baboon dey chop.
ReplyDeleteThe story can be true but those worst cases happened during GEJ regime not now. I am talking from reality and being in Borno as NGO worker.
ReplyDeleteYou are bringing politics into this matter again, its so easy to identify Buhari sympathizers, it is obvious Boko Haram has a political undertone...
Delete