Some military officer posted to fight insurgents in the Northeast have cried out over their plight.
In a letter sent to our office captioned “LETTER/WARNING ABOUT OUR OVER STAY HERE IN NORTHEAST” the soldiers lamented their poor conditions and over stay in the danger zone without adequate care for their lives and with ammunitions to defend themselves.
“We wish to cry out loud with pains through writing to you all about our overstay here in Northeast.
We were inducted to this operation since 29th Nov 2014 to fight Boko Haram insurgent, we started advancing from Mararaba Mubi under Mubi LGA of Adamawa state to Limankara, Gwoza LGA of Brono state as our LOA, presently now, we are covering from Michika LGA of Adamawa state to Limankara Gwoza LGA of Brono state. This is our 5th year now and since then, we have not been changed from this operation. The others Battalions we came the same time with and even the Battalion we came before them have been withdrawn unlike 114bn, 115bn, 117bn and some other battalions in Yobe and Maiduguri axis we are the only oldest battalion in this northeast and they don’t want to change us, the COAS order 145bn to come and change us all of a sudden the news drop-down, he ask 144bn to come and change us, 3days to come and change us, they now diverted them to Mongunu now presently, he have ask 6bn to come but they are still trying to manipulate it again with money and godfatherism, we don’t know if the COAS order is no more effective or if they are only a particular battalion that is meant to fight Boko Haram, if Northeast is a place where they is money or is a good place, we would have been changed after 6month and it would have been based on godfatherism but now we have been forgotten here.”
The letter makes a passionate plea that the Chief of Army Staff should look into their plight and change them with another battalion that has not experienced such battle.
Interested authorities are hereby advised to look into the plight of these officers who said that their morale is going down on daily basis, many of them killed and many are turned destitute by injuries suffered in the battlefield.
Below is a verbatim copy of the letter as sent to our media organization through a link.
LETTER/WARNING ABOUT OUR OVER STAY HERE IN NORTHEAST
FROM
SOLDIERS OF 143 RANGER BATTALION (M)
MADAGALI LGA, ADAMAWA STATE.
TO
MR. PRESIDENT
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OFFICE OF THE CDS
AHQ
DATOP
ICC
7DIV
HUMAN RIGHTS
AND GREAT NIGERIANS.
We wish to cry out loud with pains through writing to you all about our overstay here in Northeast.
We here inducted to this operation since 29th Nov 2014 to fight Boko Haram insurgent, we started advancing from Mararaba Mubi under Mubi LGA of Adamawa state to Limankara Gwoza LGA of Brono state as our LOA, presently now, we are covering from Michika LGA of Adamawa state to Limankara Gwoza LGA of Brono state, this is our 5yrs now and since then, we have not been changed from this operation. The others Battalions we came the same time with and even the Battalion we came before them have been withdrawn on like 114bn, 115bn, 117bn and some other battalions in Yobe and Maiduguri axis we are the only oldest battalion in this northeast and they don’t want to change us, the COAS order 145bn to come and change us all of a sudden the news drop down, he ask 144bn to come and change us, 3days to come and change us, they now diverted them to Mongunu now presently, he have ask 6bn to come but they are still trying to manipulate it again with money and godfatherism, we don’t know if the COAS order is no more effective or if they are only a particular battalion that is meant to fight Boko Haram, if Northeast is a place where they is money or is a good place, we would have been changed after 6month and it would have been base on godfatherism but now we have been forgotten hear.
We are are here and this is the second President, the second Senate President, the 2nd CDS, the 2nd COAS, the 4th Theatre commander, the 4th 7div GOC, the 4th Bde.commander, the 4th CO and 2 acting CO that we have worked under and non of them have the human feelings of changing our Battalion from this Northeast even those senior officers that we gave names, success and glory have forgotten us so soon on like MAJ. GEN. VICTOR EZOGU and COL. CO. OGBUABOR. after using us to achieve their aims and objectives, they now aboundon us like sheep without shepherd, after begging us to fight and we did as if we don’t have life, as if our lives are double, just to fight for our country and bring back peace, victory and honor to the Nigeria Army but we get back suffering and rejection in return. When we were advancing, all eyes were at us, our Battalion was the talk of the Nigeria Defense and Army Headquarters and even internationally, but look at us today beening rejected and aboundon, nothing to show for, since we came to this operation; No changes, no special promotion, no issues of uniform and boot, because we do buy it with our money, no good feeding, we are beening feed like slave even the Boko Haram under custody feed more better than us, all we get in return of hard work is more work.
I still want to let all of you to know that, the soldiers of 143 Ranger Battalion are now suffering from; Depression, stress, lack of feeding, poor admin, family problems, psycho, no special promotion, low moral and above all overstay. We are begging the president, the FG, CDS and COAS to look into our case because, our home have scatter, some of us our children don’t know us because is only 4times we have been on pass for 5yrs they see us as outsiders some of our parents died of BP because of the situation on grand and the new they listen to everyday, the ladies we want to marry have left us because they are tired of waiting and empty promises of we coming back, some people are afraid to give us their daughters to marry because they don’t know when we are coming back. We have lost alot, please we want the Army to come and change us before is too late.
I remember the COAS said, soldiers are not willing to fight, how can soldiers be willing to fight with this condition of overstay, no special promotion as warefair, no good feeding. The COAS have no integrity and human feelings, no effective order in the sense that, he gave 3 good battalion order to come and change us but no one have come, even one of the battalion that train to come and change us were diverted to Mongunu in the name of, they want to go and deploy them in Baga where Chadian soldiers are deploy in Baga but up till now the soldiers are still in Mongunu.
Any Bde commander and CO that come will want to use us and make their money and go, they will be deceiving us that, they are fighting for our changes of which is a big lie. A CO is supposed to stay in a battalion for 1year but our CO is going to 3years now using us to make his money because he knows that any attack that come will not affect him is only the soldiers in front line that it will affect. All the officers that came with us have gone and some are on posting but we are still here. We are really tired of this place, we want to go back to our unit and meet our families.
To the Governors, Senators and Reps of Adamawa and Brono state, is a warning to you all before your people will start running back from their homes because we are no more happy and we are ready to leave the LGA we are covering if fight should come.
Please, we urge Nigerians to help us share our pains, put your legs in our shoes, imagine if your father, husband, brother, uncle, lover, in-law, friends, classmate, relatives and ur neighbours are we, how will u feel, we beg you all to help us by sharing it in all the social media you know that is the only way you can fight for us.
Thanks for your concern and support.
By all soldiers in the battalion
