Authorities of the Nigerian Army have redeployed the Acting General Officer Commanding, 7th Infantry Division, Maiduguri, Maj.-Gen Mohammed Ibrahim.
Until his redeployment, Ibrahim presided over the various battles fought against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
The authorities may also take a drastic decision to dismiss over more soldiers in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the North East.
Ibrahim was appointed to take over from his predecessor, Gen. Abubakar Mohammed, following the mutiny of soldiers in the division in May, 2014.
The details of the posting are yet to be made public.
President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the creation of the 7th Infantry Division to carry out effective prosecution of the campaign against the insurgents in August, 2013.
Investigations showed that the soldiers to be dismissed, numbering about 2000, constituted of the strength of four battalions in the area.
They were said to be those on duty when Boko Haram overran major towns in Adamawa State in October, 2014.
The bulk of the soldiers are expected to get their dismissal letter this week.
It was learnt that the Army authorities had pulled out the soldiers and replaced them with men from other formations to prosecute the task of retaking the towns captured by Boko Haram in Adamawa.
The recaptured territories include the commercial city of Mubi, Michika, Madagali and Gulak.
The troops were said to have been withdrawn and kept at the headquarters of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, where they await the military’s decision on them.
Although, the soldiers were paid their salaries for the two months while they remained in custody, the authorities had decided to stop their operational allowances.
A senior military personnel, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, stated on Saturday that the Army authorities were trying and dismissing the affected soldiers on allegation of cowardice.
The source also described the reported protest by the 227 dismissed soldiers in Jos as an attempt to blackmail the military leadership to drop the decision against them.
“I think Nigerians should allow the military to clean up the system; what they are doing is to blackmail the military leadership but you should know that the image of this country is at stake.”
Each of the soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations receives N1000 per day as operational allowance. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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And how much do political office holders who are chilling out in air conditioned offices in Abuja and the generals too who are stealing defense budgetary allocations receiving as daily allowances? What is N1,000 daily allowance compared to the risks these guys face in the war front? Let thus military leadership and Federal government be serious.
ReplyDeleteN1000 per day is not worth their lives, atleast they need much more other benefit in order for them to perform more actively, remember they have parents, wife's, children, relatives whom strongly rely on them if they are gone as sacrifice for the country what do the govt do abt the pple they left behind....they acted the way they did base on what they have seen happened to their fellow colleagues....lack of equipment isn't the only reason troops run away frm d battle ground....ask a soldier with integrity and he will brief u more.....
ReplyDelete#1000 daily allowance to face the enemies heavy artillery? That to me is way to small, no wonder the Nigerian army formation is marred by mutiny. On a manifest effect dismissing 2000 soldiers will help to sanitise the formation but the latent effect is that it could lead to; mass unemployment syndrome; economic hardship on their families ; increase in crime if dishonest ones chose to feed by gun, they were once armed personnel; untimely death caused by thought prone sicknesses as a result of inability to fend for themselves and household.
ReplyDeleteThe military leadership need be dismissed instead of these innocent ones. Imagine, someone saying operation allowance is 1000 per day. Wicked souls. We will clean Nigeria up by relieving the military heads and JJ Rollings all the politicians who are also part of these menace.
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