A soldier has claimed that he witnessed incidents that suggested some military chiefs work with Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
The soldier told the Voice of America Hausa Service how his military unit in Borno State was ambushed by Boko Haram members.
He said the commander of a nearby military unit in Bama recently sought assistance from his unit in carrying out a raid.
The soldier, who did not give his name, said when the two military units joined up, they were given different uniforms. The Bama unit commander, according to him, gave his own troops green uniforms while his unit received tan “desert camouflage” uniforms.
When the troops reached the battle area, the soldier said the commander of the better-equipped Bama unit suddenly withdrew his forces, leaving the remaining troops to fend for themselves against Boko Haram fighters.
Speaking in Hausa, he said, “We had only light arms and our men were being picked off one after the other.”
The soldier also said he recognised some of the Boko Haram fighters as his former military trainers in Kontagora, a town near Abuja.
“We realised that some of them were actually mercenaries from the Nigerian army… hired to fight us,” he said.
The soldier also claimed that many of his colleagues were deserting the army because of their frustrations with what he said was the politicisation of the fight against the militants.
He said, “I swear by Allah, there are soldiers who are coming out of the forest after they were abandoned; several of them dropped their weapons and just went home.
“There were more than 20 of them from this battalion in Kwanduga. Even me that is talking to you now, I am preparing to leave. I just want to tell the world so that they will know what is happening. These people are doing this secretly.”
He also claimed that there was a deliberate attempt to further impoverish the North preparatory to the 2015 general elections.
•10,000 soldiers not in Maiduguri
The soldier dismissed claims that there were up to 10,000 troops in Maiduguri.
The soldier added, “I swear, even now, there are boys in the forest where we are coming out from.
“They (Army) keep saying they are sending soldiers, it’s a lie. They claim that there are 10,000 soldiers in Maiduguri but it is a lie. If we have 10,000 soldiers, Boko Haram would have ended. How many members does Boko Haram have?”
When one of our correspondents contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj.Gen Chris Olukolade, he said he did not believe that the person who granted the interview to VOA was a soldier of the Nigerian Army.
He said that the person claiming to be a soldier could be an insurgent trying to create a false impression to promote the activities of Boko Haram.
The defence spokesman said, “The person that granted that interview on the VOA; we believe he is not a soldier, he could just be one of those simulated on the other side to give some false impression to support the insurgents.”
•Soldier fighting for B’Haram killed
But the soldier’s claim seemed to have been corroborated as a lance corporal has been killed by the Special Forces during an encounter with insurgents in Borno State.
It was learnt on Sunday that the military high command was investigating soldiers suspected to be involved in conducts that could compromise national security.
The lance corporal was said to have been killed while assisting in the training of Boko Haram fighters.
Investigations revealed that the soldier was ‘competent’ and trusted enough to be a trainer of Special Forces at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontagora.
It was learnt that one of the soldiers who took part in the operation recognised the body of the lance corporal who dressed in military camouflage.
The soldier was said to have called the attention of his commander to his discovery that one of the corpses was that of a soldier well known to him as a trainer of special forces in Kotangora.
It was learnt that the commander ordered a search on the body of the lance corporal and a current pass permitting him to leave his location at the training centre in Kontagora was found on him.
A security source said, “A soldier who trains Special Forces at the Nigerian Army Training Centre in Kontagora, Niger State, was among those who were killed.
“The man was not among the Special Forces; he was obviously leading the attack for the insurgents but he got killed.
“It was one of the soldiers that identified him as somebody from his unit in Kotangora.
“The soldier called attention to the man’s corpse and when the commander said he should be searched, they recovered a current pass authorising him to leave Kotangora and his Army identity card from him.”
However, Olukolade said that he would not want to comment on the killing of the lance corporal.
He stated that the military had zero tolerance for people fighting on the side of the insurgents.
Meanwhile the death toll in Saturday’s attack on Yar-Galadima in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State has risen to 105.
The Emir of Dansadau, Alhaji Husseini Adamu made this known on Sunday at the emirate council.
The herdsmen who wore camouflage uniform were said to have stormed a special security meeting of vigilante members in the community.
It was gathered that they arrived the village in more than 100 motorcycles and operated for over three hours without any response from the police and other security forces.
A source said in the village said, “The gunmen overpowered the vigilante members. They used knives to slaughter some and shot others.
“As I speak with you over 100 dead bodies were recovered and I believe some would be found in nearby bushes.”
About 40 of the victims were also buried on Sunday. Their burial, according to eyewitness took place at about 4pm.
Among those who attended the burial were the state Governor, Abdullaziz Yari; his deputy Ibrahim Wakkala; the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 10, Alhaji Mamman Sule; and the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Bichi.
At the burial, the governor condemned the attack on the villagers, saying those behind it would not go unpunished.
Although he noted that the security meeting of the vigilante group was held illegally,Yari vowed that anybody or group linked with the murder of “these innocent people will face the music.”
Yari wondered how the killings happened in broad daylight without any help from security forces. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Rubbish, this soldier is an impostor who already has referred the fight to impoverish the north against 2015. A soldier reasoning like a politician. And I can bet u that Nigerians with already judged minds of the fight against the Insurgents will Love this news.
ReplyDeleteGod will destroy everyone supporting the insurgents either in their thoughts, sympathizers and financiers.
It is no longer a news that some highly placed officers in the Nigerian Army are involved. The Governor of borno said it but GEJ is not doing anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI hope grandpa is listening
Deletefrom the content of this write up, this voa interview was faked. the story is not true. is a polical message. with this kind of people, boko haram issue will not end.
ReplyDeleteYou are witnessing the power of propaganda that is working on northerners. They will soon say that the soldiers that are working against the army are the igbos and ijaw etc. This will enable the overheating of the elections for 2015 and overall manipulation of the many millions of poor illiterate northerners.who have always been willing to slaughter innocent people under thier elites manipulation in the hope that the northern elite can get back into federal office again because that is what all this is about. That is why thier masses are kept illiterate and poor
ReplyDeletethe post election created vampire is still alive in the north with difference names ........Benson @Hedges ,Yankee cow boys,etc
ReplyDeleteIt's no longer news that military are supporting insugent group in the country. If you can remember vivdly that military were aiding militants group in the niger delta region. It was noted that 3 out of every 4 guns seized were marked NA.No private crime group can survive without the support of th govt. or military.I would advised that you should destroy the region with common sence. I guess that you have heard that the father of civil- militants group son was kidnaaped few days ago in the niger part of nigeria.
ReplyDeleteThe funny part of that kidnapping was that the victim after his release said that his kidnappers were ordered by their leader Tompolo to release him. We are very much aware that our president neither sympathize with innocent victims of the crisis nor does he sincerely want an end to crisis for obvious political reasons.
Deletepropaganda people using fake soldier for voa interview. you think readers are fools. mentioning 2015 means the interview was masterminded. rubbish report.
ReplyDeleteIf not d military who are bh in northern area 10000 army are deploy 2 northern region wit checking point every were of d northern region area does bh invisible ? mr president God is seeing ur hand work
ReplyDeleteIf not d military who are bh in northern area 10000 army are deploy 2 northern region wit checking point every were of d northern region area does bh invisible ? mr president God is seeing ur hand work
ReplyDeleteTrue or false, it should be investigated.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE A SOLUTION FOR ALL NIGERIANS.........FOR A SAFE DEFENSE, LET GUNS BE SHARED TO EVERYONE...THEN THERE WOULD BE PEACE.
ReplyDeletethe governor of Borno should bring back the girls he sent to Sudan on scholarship...we are not comfortable with our girls schooling in an extreme Islamic State like Sudan, where a woman is being sentenced to death for becoming a Christian and where bomb masterminders seek refuge. Selah
ReplyDelete