25 Nigerian Soldiers Operating Armoured Tanks, Other War Vehicles Resign Amid Corruption Allegations Against Army Authorities

A total of 25 soldiers are exiting the Nigerian Army despite the worsening security challenges the military is currently combating in some parts of the country, SaharaReporters has gathered.

In the list exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the soldiers are all from the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps (NAAC) and belong to junior cadres. Soldiers in junior cadres are the ones mostly Sent to the front.

NAAC came into being on 21 April 1958 from the only existing artillery battery then in the NACA. It is one of the “teeth arms” of the Nigerian Army.

The department provides close combat support to the infantry. It has various types of units equipped with different categories of vehicles and armaments for the performance of their peculiar roles.

These units include Recce Battalions, Tank Battalions, Light Tank Battalions and the Demonstration Battalion.

“More soldiers are resigning voluntarily due to the ill treatment by superiors and corruption in Nigeria Army. Imagine the recent list, they are all from the armoured corps, 25 people trained for years on how to operate different war vehicles, armoured tanks are leaving just like that, so unfortunate,” a soldier told SaharaReporters on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the list of exiting soldiers did not distinguish between those embarking on voluntary retirement and those leaving the army on medical grounds.

However, none of them has attained retirement age or the mandatory years of service.

The Chief of Army Staff has since approved their formal disengagement.

The approval of their voluntary disengagement dated July 27, 2023, was signed by Colonel Y Datikum.

According to the approval, the 25 soldiers are to submit all military properties in their possession.

“Consequently, I am directed to request formations and units to release all affected soldiers to report at the Headquarters, Garrison, with their unit service documents for documentation,” the internal signal signed by Datikum read.

“All forms of military-controlled items, arms, ammunition, and items of combat kits are recovered from the soldiers prior to their disengagement date and certify that they are properly de-kitted. Please acknowledge.”

There have been allegations of corruption in the Nigerian Army which some of the soldiers have blamed on the issue – soldiers overstaying in the Northeast.

According to some soldiers, the army is the epitome of deep-seated corruption. They noted that corruption is affecting the prosecution of the anti-terrorism war in Northeast Nigeria.

In the past, army personnel deployed for counter-insurgency operations had lamented that those who were to relieve them many months after they were asked to leave the battlefield refused to resume.

The soldiers complained that they were being forced to confront Boko Haram militants, adding that their low morale and lack of willingness to continue to fight made it possible for terrorists to dislodge some military camps recently.

They complained of abandonment and accused the military authorities of keeping them on the front beyond their approved period of stay.

In the last 12 months, over 1,000 soldiers in Northeast Nigeria and other theatres of operation have resigned from the Nigerian Army.

Some of the affected soldiers who spoke to SaharaReporters had cited loss of interest, intimidation by superiors, corruption in the army, and low morale as their reasons for their actions.

In 2022, some army personnel also accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to check corruption and financial mismanagement among some top military officers while soldiers continue to cry on a daily basis.

The soldiers in an open letter to the President accused top army officers of corruption and extortion.

They said despite their numerous complaints, nobody was saying anything about their unpaid allowances by the military finance corps.

Recently, the Nigerian Army approved an upward review of Ration Cash Allowance to soldiers, taking it from N1,000 to N1,200.

The RCA takes care of the feeding of Nigerian military personnel in lieu of “central feeding”.

In a signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the army had said the move was a sequel to the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government which had caused an increment in prices of goods and services across the country.

The signal was dated July 28 and signed by E.E. Emekah, a Major General on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff.

“Sequel to the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with its attendant rise in the prices of goods and services across the country, the COAS has graciously approved upward review of Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) for troops from One Thousand Naira (N1,000:00) to One Thousand Two Hundred Naira (N1,200.00) with effect from August 2023,” it had read.

“Relatedly, requisition for Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) are to be subsequently calculated as 30 litres of PMS/Vehicle/Day and 50 litres of AGO/Vehicle/Day.

“I am to respectfully add that you forward your sustenance requirements to this Headquarters not later than 15 of every month in line with the new rates for necessary action. Please acknowledge receipt.”

inoki247:
Lol na why I dey smile when people talk about Coup in Nigeria..


Even the Military that wants to plan coup are in deep shiit of corruption....

thisisit:
Junior and intermediate Military officers getting restless and restive....

This is the foremost sign of an inevitable military coup..

Kalashnikov49:
All the ingredients for a coup are there for even the blind to see. Any coup in Nigeria NOW will be celebrated by the masses.

Tinubu is just a dundee.

Kalashnikov49:
Consolation talk...You should be worried and check the tribe of the people that are retiring.

You should also understand that most of your infantry battalion, are basically Northerners with NIGER ancestry or genealogy.

Its also known that those sent to the front and who have knowledge of operating machines are mostly southerners.

So know that ...the battalion and their affiliates can smash your useless Tinubu with ease, because he is fighting people, they have closer ties to than you people from the sadwasted region(SW), who they look down on as SLAVES.

keep being afraid..it will definitely happen.

Ikaeniyan0:
Nigerian soldiers are not dundee. A coup won't happen in Nigeria. Tinubu will rule till 2027 when he will recontest and win again.

mugu dey form yarns....

inoki247:



Lol why the tears under my mention make your own consolation comment....


Why're you crying over mine...

Kalashnikov49:
Go and wash your boxers.

How can you be paid by politicians to be a redundant disgrace?

foolish kids everywhere!!..Gosh!

Did you elect Tinubu because of NIGER Coup?? cant he freaking work on the economy?

You are senseless. People in NIGER support the coupist, and its foolish people like you, that will meddle in peoples business. Northern senators have told you NO!! That alone should tell you something if you have brains...spits

Ikaeniyan0:
You are a sore loser. you're asking for military to take over because your candidate lost an election. If you're not happy, relocate to Niger republic or Mali to enjoy military rule.

Kalashnikov49:
Did you elect Tinubu because of NIGER Coup?? cant he freaking work on the economy?
You are senseless. People in NIGER support the coupist and its foolish people like you will meddle in peoples business. Northern senators have told you NO!! That alone should tell you something if you have brains...spits

Taxing people to death is development?

Lagos that he used taxes to build.... is like DUBAI now abi?

You stay in that uselessly low budget OSUN, eating #200 food everyday and fvvcking dirty village girls...and you want to discuss economy with people that drive the economy in the cities? Call your relatives in all major cities especially that useless lagos..and tell them how they are managing.

Hunger is killing dem constantly...but you stay in that your brown roof pigsty and you are talking nonsense...spits

Ikaeniyan0:
Tinubu is already working on the economy boy.

One of the things he's working on is tax reform

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/08/09/just-in-customs-62-mdas-to-stop-direct-revenue-collection-firs-will-take-charge-presidential-committee/

You are wailing as if Tinubu has being ruling Nigeria for the pass 20 years, he has not even spend up to 3 month in power, and you want to kill yourself. He's doing his job perfectly. Only a dunce like you will expect Nigeria to become an eldorado in less than 3 month.

Kalashnikov49:
Taxing people to death is development?

Lagos that he used taxes to build.... is like DUBAI now abi?

You stay in that uselessly low budget OSUN, eating #200 food everyday and fvvcking dirty village girls...and you want to discuss economy with people that drive the economy in the cities? Call your relatives in all major cities especially that useless lagos..and tell them how they are managing.

Hunger is killing dem constantly...but you stay in that your brown roof pigsty and you are talking nonsense...spits

Ikaeniyan0:
Is hunger killing people in your family?

Who told you government is about to tax people to death? Instead of you to read and gain knowledge, you're behaving like a gutter boy. In the article i shared with you, it was stated that

“In fact, our plan is to repeal many of the taxes that currently make doing business difficult without introducing new ones and yet collect more,” he said.

People like you do not even pay tax, but here you're crying as if you have being paying more tax since tinubu become the president

inoki247:
Lol na why I dey smile when people talk about Coup in Nigeria..


Even the Military that wants to plan coup are in deep shiit of corruption....

Kalashnikov49:
Consolation talk...You should be worried and check the tribe of the people that are retiring.

You should also understand that most of your infantry battalion, are basically Northerners with NIGER ancestry or genealogy.

Its also known that those sent to the front and who have knowledge of operating machines are mostly southerners.

So know that ...the battalion and their affiliates can smash your useless Tinubu with ease, because he is fighting people, they have closer ties to than you people from the sadwasted region(SW), who they look down on as SLAVES.

keep being afraid..it will definitely happen.

Kalashnikov49:
The highlighted, answers your question. Where will he collect more? after giving tax breaks as you claim?

Ikaeniyan0:
The tax bracket will be enlarge. If only you will click on the link I sent to you and read, you will safe yourself from all this embarrassment.

“As of today we have significant tax gap estimated in the region of 20 trillion or even more naira. If you focus more on the few major taxes – Value Added Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Personal Income Tax, a lot of people are not (tax) compliant, particularly the middle class and the elite, some of them are in the tax net with one or two fingers, you pay a thousand naira as tax when you should have paid N10m,” he said.

A lot of people like you are not paying tax, some that are paying are underpaying.

You started actual democratic experiments in 1999..before then who ruled NIGERIA that is not a Banana republic according to you?

rdokoye:


Only banana republics with agrarian economies have coups. Nigeria's economy is too sophisticated for the Nigerian military to manage.

rdokoye:


Do they look down on them as "slaves" before or after they beg them on the streets for alms?

iwaeda:
In the list exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the soldiers are all from the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps (NAAC) and belong to junior cadres. Soldiers in junior cadres are the ones mostly Sen to the front.

Atotal of 25 soldiers are exiting the Nigerian Army despite the worsening security challenges the military is currently combating in some parts of the country, SaharaReporters has gathered.

In the list exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the soldiers are all from the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps (NAAC) and belong to junior cadres. Soldiers in junior cadres are the ones mostly Sen to the front.


NAAC came into being on 21 April 1958 from the only existing artillery battery then in the NACA. It is one of the “teeth arms” of the Nigerian Army.

The department provides close combat support to the infantry. It has various types of units equipped with different categories of vehicles and armaments for the performance of their peculiar roles.

These units include Recce Battalions, Tank Battalions, Light Tank Battalions and the Demonstration Battalion.


“More soldiers are resigning voluntarily due to the ill treatment by superiors and corruption in Nigeria Army. Imagine the recent list, they are all from the armoured corps, 25 people trained for years on how to operate different war vehicles, armoured tanks are leaving just like that, so unfortunate,” a soldier told SaharaReporters on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the list of exiting soldiers did not distinguish between those embarking on voluntary retirement and those leaving the army on medical grounds.

However, none of them has attained retirement age or the mandatory years of service.

The Chief of Army Staff has since approved their formal disengagement.

The approval of their voluntary disengagement dated July 27, 2023, was signed by Colonel Y Datikum.

According to the approval, the 25 soldiers are to submit all military properties in their possession.

“Consequently, I am directed to request formations and units to release all affected soldiers to report at the Headquarters, Garrison, with their unit service documents for documentation,” the internal signal signed by Datikum read.

“All forms of military-controlled items, arms, ammunition, and items of combat kits are recovered from the soldiers prior to their disengagement date and certify that they are properly de-kitted. Please acknowledge.”

There have been allegations of corruption in the Nigerian Army which some of the soldiers have blamed on the issue – soldiers overstaying in the Northeast.

According to some soldiers, the army is the epitome of deep-seated corruption. They noted that corruption is affecting the prosecution of the anti-terrorism war in Northeast Nigeria.

In the past, army personnel deployed for counter-insurgency operations had lamented that those who were to relieve them many months after they were asked to leave the battlefield refused to resume.

The soldiers complained that they were being forced to confront Boko Haram militants, adding that their low morale and lack of willingness to continue to fight made it possible for terrorists to dislodge some military camps recently.

They complained of abandonment and accused the military authorities of keeping them on the front beyond their approved period of stay.

In the last 12 months, over 1,000 soldiers in Northeast Nigeria and other theatres of operation have resigned from the Nigerian Army.

Some of the affected soldiers who spoke to SaharaReporters had cited loss of interest, intimidation by superiors, corruption in the army, and low morale as their reasons for their actions.

In 2022, some army personnel also accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to check corruption and financial mismanagement among some top military officers while soldiers continue to cry on a daily basis.

The soldiers in an open letter to the President accused top army officers of corruption and extortion.

They said despite their numerous complaints, nobody was saying anything about their unpaid allowances by the military finance corps.

Recently, the Nigerian Army approved an upward review of Ration Cash Allowance to soldiers, taking it from N1,000 to N1,200.

The RCA takes care of the feeding of Nigerian military personnel in lieu of “central feeding”.

In a signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the army had said the move was a sequel to the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government which had caused an increment in prices of goods and services across the country.

The signal was dated July 28 and signed by E.E. Emekah, a Major General on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff.

“Sequel to the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with its attendant rise in the prices of goods and services across the country, the COAS has graciously approved upward review of Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) for troops from One Thousand Naira (N1,000:00) to One Thousand Two Hundred Naira (N1,200.00) with effect from August 2023,” it had read.

“Relatedly, requisition for Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) are to be subsequently calculated as 30 litres of PMS/Vehicle/Day and 50 litres of AGO/Vehicle/Day.

“I am to respectfully add that you forward your sustenance requirements to this Headquarters not later than 15 of every month in line with the new rates for necessary action. Please acknowledge receipt.”

https://saharareporters.com/2023/08/09/exclusive-25-nigerian-soldiers-operating-armoured-tanks-other-war-vehicles-resign-amid

slimfit1:
The military are spending money on tanks instead of drowns, the days of tanks are slowly dying only if its an unmanned tank. We should be spending our money on research on home or locally made drowns. This is what happens if you don't want to modernise our military.
Our resources should be more on our airforce than anything. Work smart not work hard these days, but in this case if you work hard you won't survive the only people that survive are those that work smart.