The Nigerian army has pledged retaliation for the deaths of six soldiers who were ambushed during a peace mission in Niger’s central state last week.
The soldiers were conducting a “fighting patrol” in Karaga village, Shiroro area, when they were attacked by what the army described as “terrorists”.
An army statement reported the killing of several attackers and ongoing pursuit of others.
The army asserted that the soldiers would avenge the “regrettable setback”.
Among the deceased were two senior officers and four other personnel, the army revealed.
Two officers sustained injuries in the assault.
While local reports suggest one officer was kidnapped, the army has not confirmed this.
The perpetrators of the ambush remain unidentified, although local armed gangs, referred to as bandits, are often held responsible for targeting security forces.
The attack coincides with Nigeria hosting a two-day high-level African counter-terrorism summit in Abuja.
This ambush follows closely after the deaths of 16 soldiers in clashes between rival communities in the oil-rich southern Delta state a few weeks ago.
Nigeria continues to grapple with a surge in kidnappings for ransom and confronts various jihadist groups.
The Nigerian army caught two soldiers who were seen in a viral video hurting a civilian.
In the video, a man in military clothes and another in regular clothes keep hitting and whipping a third man who is shirtless. The man being hurt keeps asking them to stop.
“Please, sir, no. I beg you. ” “Sir, please, I admit it. ” the man begs.
The army is very unhappy with how the officers have been acting.
The army said on Wednesday that the soldiers who acted unprofessionally have been found and taken into custody.
The attack happened in Rivers state, Nigeria, but we don’t know when.
The video of soldiers behaving badly on social media upset a lot of people. One person said the soldiers were being very cruel and using their power in a bad way.
The army will look into the incident and punish anyone involved.
International human rights organizations have previously spoken out against the Nigerian army for mistreating people and doing things like torture, arresting people for no reason, and killing people without a fair trial.
Some junior personnel of the Nigerian Army has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries.
They alleged that the Nigerian government and army authorities had impoverished those of them in the lower cadre with no increment in their salaries for years with some enduring about 12 years of stagnant pay.
The soldiers noted that to meet their basic financial needs, they now sold their cars, televisions, housing properties, and others.
They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries and inaugurate a committee to investigate happenings in the military, particularly issues involving and affecting the rank and file.
“We the other ranks in the Army are suffering with this current inflation in Nigeria. Sir, we now find it difficult to pay our children’s school fees,” a soldier told SaharaReporters.
“There is serious hunger all over army barracks. As I’m writing this, our soldiers now sell their housing properties before the end of each month, televisions, fridges, or any item that can bring a little amount of money to buy foodstuffs.
“Some even sold their cars, this life is not easy for us soldiers at all, we are all in debt because our salaries are not enough to pay children’s school fees, let alone feeding the families.”
This is coming a few weeks after a soldier, Sergeant Ismaila Ukwuhcodu, wrote a letter to the President over their “meager” pay.
The sergeant had noted that to meet financial needs, soldiers now got “involved in illegal duties, sabotage, arms and ammunition deal, armed robbery and kidnapping” while calling on the President to attend to their plight.
“As a trustee of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, I humbly wish to address this letter to you who called us to serve the nation. The Nigeria Army (NA)is the land component of the Armed Forces created to defend and maintain its territorial integrity from external aggression and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon by Mr President,” the letter had read.
“In the face of security challenges bedeviling the nation, men of the armed forces sacrifice their lives. Despite the risks involved, NA fall in their responsibility and duty to meet the benefits and services of soldiers not minding the consequences it will breed with time. Perhaps the concept is that “soldiers are illiterates with no prospect for a successful future”.
“The system preaches patriotism, discipline, loyalty, and dedication to duty, regrettable sir, our meager salary makes it difficult for us to care for our families and own personal house while in active service.
“Painfully, we buy uniforms, boots, and other military kits from the same salary to serve Nigeria. Below is the salary breakdown of your soldering per day/month.
“a. Warrant Officer’s Salary is N95,000/31 days =N3,064 per day (28 yrs in service) b. Staff Sergeant Salary is N84,000/31 days = N2,709 per day(26 yrs in) c. Sergeant Salary is N68,000/31 days =N2,193 per day(21 years in) d. Corporal salary is N62,000/31 days = N2,000 per day (16 yrs in) e. Lance Corporal N57,000/31 days = N1,838 per day (10 yrs in) f. Private salary is N50,000/31 days = N1,612 per day (5 years in service)
“To meet financial needs, soldiers involve in illegal duties, sabotage, arms & ammunition deal, armed robbery, and kidnapping. The insensitive negligence to enhancing the salary and welfare of soldiers is the cause of the mass resignation of trained troops.
“The day soldiers will demand their rights will be a sad day for the Nation, on that day, all moral sanctity would have been lost. With due respect Sir, I need respectfully request Mr President and other action addresses to please stand for the principle of truth and moral sanctity by holistically and reflectively acting on serial 3 above with a view to addressing the salary and welfare package of SOLDIERS of the Nigeria Army.”
The Nigerian Navy says it is providing security and ferrying stranded commutters across the flooded East-West Road linking Port Harcourt, Rivers and Yenagoa in Bayelsa.
Sub-Lieutenant Tochukwu Okeke, the Base Information Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, a unit of Central Naval Command, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.
He said that the navy had been ferrying people and goods from flooded spots between Yenagoa and Port Harcourt, and deployed medical personnel to care for those in need.
The Base spokesman added that the operation was being coordinated by the Commander of NNS SOROH, Commodore Sunday Daniel-Atakpa.
“As directed by Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command and under the strategic directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff to deploy men and materials to bring this hardship to the barest minimum.
“Under the directive of my Commander, this operation will continue until the flood recedes, this operation is not stopping, we will continue to deploy men and materials to render help and humanitarian needs to Nigerians because we are here for them.
“The motto of the Navy is “Onward Together”. So we are moving with everybody.
“We are informed of the hardship persons are facing here, the flood is unprecedented, on Friday, we got reports that five persons lost their lives, that’s to show you how devastating it is.
“We have been providing intervention in terms of humanitarian needs, we have been providing ferries from this Ahoada point down to that place where there is a ferry point.
“Basically, we have been providing ferries at flooded parts of the road from Bayelsa to Port Harcourt and Port Harcourt back to Bayelsa. We have also been providing medicare for persons,” he added.
According to him, the navy operation which had lasted about one week, also prioritises vulnerable people such as the sick, aged persons, nursing mothers and their infants, and help convey them to safer grounds.
Okeke however said that no casualty had been recorded since the naval interventions started.
He added that the nefarious activities of hoodlums who take advantage of the situation to rob travellers of their valuables and extort money from tipper drivers along the route, had been curbed.
NAN reports that the flood had cut off the East-West Road which connects states in the South-East and South-South to the South-Western part of the country.
The intervention of the navy will help commutters struggling for three weeks to navigate the flooded portions and continue with their journeys to and from Yenagoa, Ahoada, Omoku, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Uyo, Calabar and other cities.
Meanwhile, drivers of tipper trucks are making brisk business as they transport persons and goods such as foodstuffs, drinks and livestock across the flooded sections.
A commuter, Mrs Rita Ayaku, commended the Navy for the intervention, saying it has eased the hardship faced by people affected by the flood.
Unit commanders were asked to sensitise their personnel to the need to strictly and instructively adhere to the ban.
The Nigerian Armyauthorities have asked personnel to stop embarking on journey in military uniform over the security challenges confronting the country.
In a memo dated September 21, 2022 exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, soldiers were also asked to stop displaying military accoutrements in their private vehicles.
Unit commanders were asked to sensitise their personnel to the need to strictly and instructively adhere to the ban.
“The current security environment across the country calls for more proactive measures to address the evolving threats, especially the personal security of NA personnel on leave or pass without military escorts.
Sequel to this, References A to C directed formations and units on the need to adhere to directives prohibiting personnel from traveling in NA uniforms,” the memo read.
“Accordingly, References D requested commanders at all levels to sensitise personnel under command to desist from dangerous practices of displaying military accoutrements in their vehicles.
“However, despite these series of warnings and enlightenments it has been observed that the NA personnel still embark on unofficial journeys dressed in NA regalia and sometimes display military accoutrements in their vehicles. It is instructive to state that this trend, aside being inimical to the provision of the NA Dress Regulations, could also endanger personnel lives and properties especially en-route.
“Consequently, I am directed to most respectfully request formations and unit commanders to sensitize their personnel on the need to strictly amd instructively adhere to the ban on personnel traveling in NA uniforms while on leave and pass without military escort.”
The action comes amid worsening security challenges the military is currently combating in most parts of the country.
This is coming a few weeks after gunmen suspected to be bandits killed a soldier in Kebbi State.
The deceased officer, Corporal Umaru Sanda was serving at the 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army unit in Calabar, Cross River State.
He was on his way to visit his parents in Zuru, Kebbi State when the gunmen ambushed a commercial vehicle he boarded.
The gunmen were said to have opened fire on Umaru, who was dressed in mufti, after they saw an army ID card with him. He died on the spot.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after the National Security Council meeting in Abuja.
Gunmen had on Sunday attacked the church located on Owa-Luwa Street in Owo, the hometown of the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, leaving many parishioners dead and several others injured.
Aregbesola said that security agencies, particularly the police, had been directed to apprehend the terrorists.
The minister equally noted that the attack had no ethnic-religious connection, as he asserted ISWAP activity was unrelated to any religious doctrines.
The minister stated that the council was also worried about killings in the name of blasphemy and had directed the security agencies to go after perpetrators of both incidents that occurred in Sokoto State and Abuja recently.
He added that enough security measures have been put in place ahead of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election taking place on June 18, 2022.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that ISWAP claimed responsibility for an attack on Kabba as the terror group kept moving towards the Southern part of Nigeria.
The community is about 95 kilometres and less than two hours to Owo in Ondo State, where over 50 worshippers were recently killed during an attack by gunmen on St Francis Catholic Church.
Several videos on social media had showed victims being killed and lying on the church floor in the pool of their own blood.
An eyewitness said that the terrorists were throwing “bombs and shooting†at the same time.
He said about 25 persons were taken to the hospital, while about 50 people are feared dead.
According to him, when the gunmen stormed the church, they shot many people in the leg, and others at different parts of the body.
