BORNO: Soldiers desert duty posts for fear of reprisals from Boko Haram, amid lack of weapons

THE last may not have been heard about what transpired between Nigerian troops and members of the Boko Haram terrorists in Marte and Dikwa communities.

There seems to more than meets the eye from the engagement between Nigerian intrepid soldiers and their deadly enemies in Marte and Dikwa which have both become a cauldron of insurgency recently.

This is following the report that about 100 officers have absconded from their duty posts around Marte.

In late February Boko Haram terrorists attacked Marte and  took over the community after displacing the residents.

But no sooner than the attack happened than the Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, directed the Nigerian troops to take the war to the terrorists in Marte and recapture the community, giving them 48-hour ultimatum.

Attahiru promised to address the grievances of the troops by providing the necessary things needed by them in the fight and equipped them for the eventual decimation of the insurgents.

The troops eventually recaptured Marte before the ultimatum elapsed; the victory was wildly celebrated at their base.

But military sources said the troops’ requests for reinforcement and additional weapons from the authorities were turned down, and they learnt that the insurgents were planning to launch another attack.

“They deserted in protest, actually,” one of the sources said.

“When the enemies attacked earlier, the troops were dislodged because they didn’t have enough ammunition to match those of BHT. But, the troops pulled the courage, returned and cleared that area, giving the BHT a run back to the bushes.

“They were expecting that the authorities would send in reinforcement and more equipment for them to prepare against any incoming attack. But sadly, they didn’t see anything. Most of them got angry and left.”

The army has not responded to this claim from various sources about reneging on its promises to the troops at the war front which makes them vulnerable

Mohammed Yerima, army spokesperson, was not immediately available to comment on the development.

But it was gathered from a memo released by the Operation Lafiya Dole headquarters, the officers and soldiers were accused of absconding from a defensive location during the Boko Haram attack on Marte and Dikwa.

A part of the memo read, “You are requested to declare the named officers and soldiers’ deserters WEF 19 Feb 21. You are also requested to cause HQ NAFC to freeze their accounts and apprehend/bring them under military escort to this Headquarters if seen within your AOR,”

The soldiers were said to have absconded for fear reprisals from the lethal Boko Haram terrorists who they dislodged from Marte.

It was gathered that the absconded soldiers believing that the necessary weapons they would be vulnerable when the terrorists strike.

According to the internal memo, a total of 12 officers and 89 soldier deserted their duty post.

The full list of the officers and soldiers who deserted the army:

 GY Mohammed

EP Nwangwu

US Muhammad

EG Utok

A Ibrahim

US Ibrahim

ME Ochei

EN Essien

FC Maduako

KO Adejare

S Mammada

YJ Ishaya

Muazu Yusuf

Musa Usman

Idris Garba

Chigbo John

Aminu Mohammed

Godfrey Samuel

Christopher Silas

Okoro Emeka

Meze Hillary

Zakka Peter

Onyebuchi Kennedy

Okunola Oluwasegun

Suoyefe Abiola

Mwankat Shalmak

Ekekien Peter

Daniel Emmanuel

John Monday

Yakubu Amos

Aminu Saidu

Pius Okoro

Kenebra Shedrach

Dominic Eworo

Ojo Oluwasegun

Nura Lawal

Yakubu Suleiman

Johnson Chorus

Isah Shaibu

Nasiru Hamisu

Jibrin Sa’adu

John Ukpenkune

Umar Sani

Mustapha Suleiman

Isiaq Adam

Muhammed Ahmed

John Richard

Kabiru Hashimu

Awuna Monday

Isah John

Zamani Fidelis

Abubakar Adam

Philip Chia

Ogundipe GBenga

Samson Unite

Francis Audu

Abubakar Musa

Ibrahim Adamu

Sadiq Abubakar

Lawal Abdullahi

Ajala David

Suleiman Jamilu

Okoro Ama

Sunday Sule

Aimato Abdulsalam

Abubakar Musa

Suleiman Kabiru

Onu Kingsley

Buba Usman

James John

Hussaini Adamu

Shamsudeen Ismail

Saidu Sani

Abdullahi Musa

Abubakar Yahaya

Edosa Aigboje

Ibrahim Umar

Chukwujekwu Okenwa

Abdullahi Usman

Ukali Emmanuel

Joseph Benard

Ewubare Gold

Abimiku Sunday

Ibrahim Mansur

Joseph Ayuba

Ayanyemi Tayo

Remember Jeremiah

Jimoh Adesina

Ukwokori Precious

Ayawei Ayibatemi

Kalu Sunday

Abdulkadir Ahmed

Osakwe Festus N

Badamashi Omokafe

Levi Pwagureno

Paul Pilate Saddam

Bello Musa

Moses Ayo

Ademu Alih

Ogobi Fredrick

Benedict Uduebor