Dear Nairalanders:

The subject matter just appeared online..., and I quote:

EXCLUSIVE: Boko Haram sacks entire Nigerian Army battalion, confiscates all arms, ammunition

November 12, 2014.
Premium Times

Image: Nigerian soldiers on patrol in Maiduguri

The terrorists arrived suddenly at 4:00 p.m. that ill-fated Wednesday, November 5, catching the Nigerian soldiers and their commanders off-guard. As they invaded the headquarters of the 174 Battalion, Abadan Local Government Area of Borno State, located close to the Nigerian border with Niger, the Boko Haram insurgents, in hundreds, began to shoot sporadically in all directions.

According to witnesses, the terrorists were led into the battalion headquarters by insurgents bearing a number of Rocket Propelled Grenades (a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon) and machine guns mounted on Hilux vans. Other insurgents, bearing AK-47 rifles, followed behind, shooting and chanting “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar” (May God be praised).

For minutes, the attackers were repelled by Nigerian soldiers who returned fire, and at some point, appeared to be gaining the upper hand, our sources said.

But the troops capitulated shortly after more insurgents advanced on the camp from several directions, hurling grenades at them and shooting non-stop, our sources said. The soldiers fled the scene as it became clear they were less armed and prepared for battle.

Several Nigerian soldiers who took part in the fighting have narrated how Boko Haram secured yet again another victory over government forces, a defeat they blamed on their arms and the morale of the fighting force.

Boko Haram has seized many towns and communities in recent months, sacking security facilities while soldiers flee, in what appears the worst defeat yet for the Nigerian military since the insurgents launched a bloody campaign in 2009.

The 174 Battalion, which was moved from its Lagos base to the Nigerien border in Nigeria’s bid to rev up the war against the extremist Boko Haram sect, had over 300 soldiers. Over a thousand insurgents attacked the troops, witnesses said.

Before long, military insiders said, the soldiers began to abandon the battle in droves, throwing away their uniforms and yielding their arms to the terrorists. The terrorists followed in pursuit as majority of the soldiers and officers fled across the border into neighbouring Niger where some of them were hospitalized.

A yet unknown number of soldiers were killed; some declared missing while several others were injured, our sources said.

After the Nigerian soldiers fled, military officials said, the Boko Haram insurgents ransacked the camp, looting the battalion armoury and offices.

“They went away with every weapon we had,” one of the soldiers who partook in the battle told PREMIUM TIMES. “RPGs, armoured tanks, rifles, ammunition, I mean everything. As we are now, we have nothing. They have gone away with everything.”

He added, “We were simply overpowered. They were far more in number and the weapons they carried were far more than what we had. They could have finished all of us if we hadn’t fled.”

The spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, did not answer or return calls seeking comment for this story.

But a top military commander, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

“I can’t confirm to you that it happened but we have managed to bring back the soldiers to Nigeria,” the general said. “The matter is being investigated.”

He blamed the incident on cowardice by soldiers of the battalion saying, “Initially, they were talking of weapons. But the weapons have started arriving. The problem now is the mentality of our soldiers. A lot of them are just cowards and should not have been recruited into the Army in the first place. The fact is if you don’t have the mentality of a soldier, you can’t fight a battle no matter the sophistication of your arm.”

The November 5 attack on the battalion was the second on the formation by Boko Haram. On August 4, 2013, the insurgents attacked the battalion, killing 15 soldiers and wounding several others.

Before the November 5 attack, some soldiers of the battalion had told PREMIUM TIMES their morale was at an all-time low.

“A lot of us have been here for more than two years without being allowed to see our family,” one soldier said “We were to be here for six months but we have now been abandoned here for two years. We are missing our families and our morale is zero. Some of us are even considering going on AWOL (away without official leave).”

Unquote.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/171062-exclusive-boko-haram-sacks-entire-nigerian-army-battalion-confiscates-all-arms-ammunition.html

Mehn, my immediate reaction was to shudder, and then start asking: Where are we headed with our security forces and apparatus against these callous insurgents? Hmm.

P34c3
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Na wa o. Are we sure BH won't want to contest for next year's election?

Just as many young men go into priesthood for wealth. Many jobless youth have seen the Army as source of employment.

naturally:
Na wa o. Are we sure BH won't want to contest for next year's election?

Well, they will fix elections for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, after ensuring the rags called Governors are pursued.

honestly whenever i read report like this i weep for dis country.i blv recruitment into Nigerian army has bin bastardised.merit has bin overlooked,tribalism has eaten into almost every arm of government,nd dis is d sad result

I refuse to believe!

Never in history has the Nigerian Army been humiliated like this!!!

Badeh Welldone!!
Jonathan Welldone!!
TANoids and TeamGEJtill2052 welldone!!!

The thunder wey go fire una still dey do press-up!!!

This insurgency is more political than ideological. Have you wondered why the spate of attacks has increased since Jonathan's declaration of interest in the 2015 race? There is an uncanning and persistent attempt to discredit his leadership. Unfortunately the old foool is too dull and stupppid to sanitize the nation's security apparatus. His level of corruption is unprecedented. This guy Jonathan is not pretending, he is not scheming anything, he has no hidden solution or strategy with regards to our current problems in Nigeria. What he has done in the last four years is exactly what he will reproduce in a lifetime. The guy is downright clueless! How can you sensibly explain this recurrent embarassment of our gallant military personel. You want to blame that on the opposition? You want to blame the low morale of our military and their old fashioned ammunition on the opposition? You think the opposition is responsible for our porous borders? You honestly believe the huge sums veted on security gets stolen by the opposition? Granted: terrorism is often difficult to quash, but no country has suffered such monumental embarassment of its military in open battle by riff raffs like boko haram. When Yar adua was president, boko haram felt the full weight of a well motivated nigerian army. They were defeated in one decisive swing in the week of 17th january 2009. It will be 2 years of silence before they rear their head again. If the tempo was maintained, boko haram would have been history. I know interests differ and some peeps would dump their votes for him again, they must however realise that even their fathers at home could better Nigeria's cause more than this clueless drunkard!

Eko oni b'aje!
Nigeria needs Fashola!

This what man-no-man is causing us, the northerners have killed this country. Ojukwu complained of this in 1966

zubby29:
honestly whenever i read report like this i weep for dis country.i blv recruitment into Nigerian army has bin bastardised.merit has bin overlooked,tribalism has eaten into almost every arm of government,nd dis is d sad result

I hear you; and may be one should also be asking what is happening to the many, not just several, billions of Naira in the form of defence budgets and extra budgetary allocations made - and released - to the armed forces each quarter/year? And to think that these allocations form the lion's share of our budgets!

Na wah O. Hmm.

P34c3
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duwdu:


I hear you; and may be one should also be asking what is happening to the many billions of Naira in the form of defence budgets and extra budgetary allocations made - and released - to the armed forces each quarter/year?

Na wah O. Hmm.

P34c3
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did you not read that boko haram took all the weapons including armored tanks?

all those billions are gone.
you have to bring more money to buy new platforms.

Code213:
Never in history has the Nigerian Army been humilated like this!!!

Badeh Welldone!!
Jonathan Welldone!!
TANoids and TeamGEJtill2052 welldone!!!

The thunder wey go fire una still dey do press-up!!!

Babatunde Fashola: -

“They enjoy making promises they cannot keep. You have heard promises about security, not so? Promises made four years ago. But, we handed them the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with all its components parts intact and we are back four years after with some parts of Nigeria already taken away from them and they are saying the next four years will be better.”

if to say na to burn BRT or beat civilian then go sabi that one. only for them to tackle internal war its a problem. cowards

tit:


did you not read that boko haram took all the weapons including armored tanks?

all those billions are gone.
you have to bring more money to buy new platforms.

I hear you as well. And to think that those aspects you speak of are NOT even part of the stomach infrastructure elements O. Hmm.

P34c3
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Mr President needs to sack all his military chiefs. One thing which is funny about this story is why didn't the nigerian soldiers use the weapons in their camps against the insurgents?they had the weapons ,refused to use them but decided to run. There is more to this story .I think the problem of the nigeria military isn't about weapon but morale, these soldiers simply don't want to put their lives on the line anymore ,knowing fully well their wives and children won't be taken care of in case anything happens to them. Maybe by the time boko haram invades abuja ,gej will sit up .

Words fail me!

Perhaps the NA is short of soldiers. They need to attack with more aggression. Whatever happened to drones and remote surveillance? Perhaps the army chiefs themselves are a little outdated.

Code213:
Never in history has the Nigerian Army been humiliated like this!!!

Badeh Welldone!!
Jonathan Welldone!!
TANoids and TeamGEJtill2052 welldone!!!

The thunder wey go fire una still dey do press-up!!!

U dey craze!!! ur master Bukohari is doing what he knows how to do best & u are blaming GEJ

Jonathan Well done!

ofiafuluego:



U dey craze!!! ur master Bukohari is doing what he knows how to do best & u are blaming GEJ

Even IF Buhari is Boko Haram, who fuck_ing controls the mighty Nigerian Army?? ?? ?? You mean to tell me that some group of people are stronger than the government?? Or wtf are you saying, bro?

Your excellent mr sekaru

naturally:
Na wa o. Are we sure BH won't want to contest for next year's election?

THEIR PARTY IS APC AND THEY ARE CONTESTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UNDER APC.
BOKOHARAM IS THE MILITIA WING OF APC.

Nonsense.who recruited all this cowards who just want to wear uniform to oppress civilians.You are in a war zone and the enemy catches you off guard??are you f#cking kidding me
Those who don't want to fight should pls run away and stop disgracing the army.What exactly is the air force doing in this war,they alone should be able to crush bh

masterpower:

THEIR PARTY IS APC AND THEY ARE CONTESTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UNDER APC.
BOKOHARAM IS THE MILITIA WING OF APC.

Are you not ashamed of yourself?

braine:



Even IF Buhari is Boko Haram, who fuck_ing controls the mighty Nigerian Army?? ?? ?? You mean to tell me that some group of people are stronger than the government?? Or wtf are you saying, bro?

It took America a number of yrs to track down Bin laden, does that mean d US soldiers are weak?

May God help us in this country.I can't blame d soldier.Nobody wan die nao

ofiafuluego:


It took America a number of yrs to track down Bin laden, does that mean d US soldiers are weak?

But they weren't this incompetent. How can you be attacked unknowingly in a bloody WAR zone? It beats my imagination.

ofiafuluego:



U dey craze!!! ur master Bukohari is doing what he knows how to do best & u are blaming GEJ

Look @ this phool from a kindred of lepers!!! Is Buhari the one who embezzled the Defence Budget meant to equip the Army? Is Buhari the C in C of the Federal Republic?
Failures like you and all the other reetards keep blaming others for ur failure.

*you actually don't deserve a response. But fuuk it!! Lemme cure some of ur stupidity. Humanitarian service*