According to the soldiers, attempts to complain have been met with threats by the army authorities.
Nigerian Army personnel fighting Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East have lamented the delay in the payment of their allowances.
According to the soldiers, attempts to complain have been met with threats by the army authorities.
They also called for a review of the allowances to reflect the current economic realities of the country.
“There is a serious issue going on in the army, we, soldiers in the North East fighting Boko Haram are lamenting the delay in payment of operational allowance and other allowances without proper reason; no signal or an address by the various commanders to explain to the soldiers why we are not being paid.
“Formerly, they pay us on 5th or 6th of every month but we haven’t been paid for many months now. The morale of the troops is very low in the front line and will affect our operation, these is a very serious issue on ground now,” a soldier lamented.
“We have families and children, some in the university, and we need these little things to assist ourselves. We have been complaining, we want to go on protest. But we are afraid because, if we protest, it will be easy for them to trace us,” another soldier corroborated.
Still, another personnel confirmed the claims, while expressing fears that the lives of soldiers on the frontline were not guaranteed.
In 2022, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how soldiers expressed concerned over an alleged move by the Nigerian Army authorities to stop payment of operational allowances to troops fighting insurgency.
One of the personnel had in an open letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari said it had “been sleepless nights and teeth nagging since this plot come to the notice of the troops.”
Copied in the letter were the past Vice President of Nigeria, Senate President, the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff.
The open letter by the troops exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters had read, “This is to inform the above addresses and offices which we are aware that they might not be aware of the ongoing plot to deny the troops of their usual monthly operational allowances in the North-East operation thereby bringing instability in the North-Eastern part of the country. This could lead to troops’ withdrawal or negligence to further readiness and continued fight for sustainability of peace and order in the region, especially Adamawa State.
“I am surprised how N45,000 monthly allowances as operational allowances has become the problem why the Nigerian economy is bad. Could it be that the Nigerian Army authorities are doing this to enrich their pocket or mere wickedness of those in the affairs of leadership to depriving the suffering soldiers the right to their allowances?
“It has been sleepless night and teeth nagging since this plot come to the notice of the troops. I fear what comes after such wickedness to the state; I fear the reason for this plot at a time the people of Adamawa are seeing little peace.
“I am calling on the relevant authorities of the above mentioned to look into this corrupt move to self-enrichment. We all know the effort of the president towards sustainability of peace and he has never joked with our monthly allowances.
“The Chief of Army Staff was one of us in the North-East before his appointment as the COAS and understands better our pains and suffering, he has done everything to make sure we are paid monthly as when due; why would any authorities want to destroy his good will and love for the peace of the country?
“I call on the President to look into this issue and fight for us. We have been cheated long before now because we have no one to cry to each time things like this come up by our corrupt Generals in the affairs of leadership.”