Pardoned soldiers reject redeployment to north-east, demand re-instatement

The 3032 Nigerian soldiers, who were pardoned last August, for various offences during campaigns against Boko Haram, in the North East of Nigeria, have rejected their postings to the fronts.

They complained that they have not been fully re-instated into the Nigerian Army, because attempts by them to report to their units were rejected at their bases since they have no re-instatement letters.

The soldiers also alleged that they have been kicked out of the barracks and have not been paid for seven months making them and their families beg for food.

THE NEWS GRID reports that trouble began when the soldiers were informed by Major General Kassim Aldulkareem, Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Infantry, NASI, Jaji, Kaduna state, that they have been assigned new riffles and should be ready for deployment to the fronts on the 11 January, 2016.

Rather than rejoice, the soldiers objected and insisted on receiving re-instatement letters.

“We are not going! Give us re-instatement letters! You are sentencing us back to war,” they said.

One of the soldiers who spoke to THE NEWS GRID described the action as a punishment.

“After they dismissed about 5,000 of us, 3032 of us were pardoned last August. Since that time, they have been treating us like prisoners and fugitives,” he said.

“We were told to assemble in Jaji on August 17. Then on August 19, the General Officer Commander, GOC, of 1st Infantry Division, Maj. Gen Adeniyi Oyebade gathered us and without prior noticed moved us to Nigerian Army training Centre, NATRAC, Kontogora.

“We were subjected to what was clear punishment, not training for another three weeks. We were again relocated to 333 artillery Barracks, Njetilo, Maiduguri. We were insulted and called cowards. We were not given uniforms nor arms.

“In Jaji, we went through another round of punishment, not training. Yet, we were not given any letter to show that we are still serving soldiers.

“So when the Commandant came and said we were going back to the North East, without clearing our status, we knew this punishment has to stop” he said.

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Nigerian Infantry Corps, Major C.K Abaide, however denied knowing about the development.