Soldiers ‘refuse to fight’ Boko Haram

Some of the soldiers deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the north-eastern parts of the country are complaining of not being given enough weapons and ammunition to engage the Boko Haram sect, according to the BBC.

Some soldiers were reported to have expressed fears of being overpowered by the insurgents, vowing to resist any attempt to send them to areas known as hot spots in the region.

“The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram. Soldiers are dying like fowl,” said a soldier who spoke to the BBC under anonymity.

“Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere. They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers.”

The soldier said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to be deployed.

Two weeks ago, wives of soldiers staged a protest at Giwa Barracks in Borno state, demanding that their husbands should not be deployed to areas known to be the strongholds of the sect.

Defence spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, earlier denied that Nigeria lacks the required equipment to prosecute a war against the insurgents.

Speaking during an interview with TheCable, Olukolade said the Nigerian army has been appropriately utilising arms and ammunition at its disposal and that concerted efforts are being made to improve its artillery.

“The Nigerian military will keep maximising the use of what it has at the moment to achieve the required result,” he said.

“It is not to say that there is no effort to incrementally improve on what is available to manage the situation, taking care of the issues of wear and tear of the existing equipment and the disposition to maintenance.

“All of these are receiving attention and we believe they continually, and on implemental basis, improve our capacity to manage the issue. That is not to say that we are that incapacitated as it has been presented in many circles.”