Soldiers tasked with fighting Boko
Haram militants arrive to face
trials for mutiny in Abuja on October 2, 2014.
|
W hile the battle to route Boko
Haram insurgents within six weeks as promised by the Federal government rages,
an army officer, nursing the wounds and deep feelings over the whole incident,
spoke exhaustively to Saturday Vanguard about his battle field experiences at
Gombe and Yobe axis and why he deserted the profession he loves so much. His
narration which runs like a ‘war memoir’ is as interesting although the
military has recorded reasonable success with more equipment with which they
have attacked terror camps and killed a great number of them.
However we
present to you an interesting account of an officer who deserted the army from
the battle front.
Excerpts:
BACKGROUND
‘’I have served Nigerian Army for
about twenty years. I enrolled through the regular course.
I have served in almost all
formations in the country. I am from the middle Belt part of the country,
married with two children, a boy and girl. I have also served in foreign
missions in Sierra-leone, Liberia and Dafur and we always came out in flying
colours. Sierra-leone and Liberia were for peace enforcement while Dafur was
for peace support missions. We fought real battles at Sierra-leone and Liberia
for about one year. We were there as a member of ECOWAS and we proved our
mettle. It was popularly called ECOMOG. The battles were tense but rewarding in
the sense that we were heavily equipped and all we needed for the war were
adequately provided for us. During the battles we recorded very minimal
casualty though. You know that it is difficult not to record casualties in war
situations.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LARGESSE
‘’In spite of the fact that the war
was being fought outside Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria under
General Abacha provided us with all we needed and whenever we complained of any
inadequacy, the Federal government provided them without delay. That was the
spirit and we relished and cherished it. It was such that we were all looking
forward to being drafted back to continue with the war. But it is a totally
different thing with the war against Boko Haram in the North Eastern part of
Nigeria.
FEARS OVER ILL-PREPARATION
This is a war in which almost 95% of
our soldiers fear to join. Our fears are not that we were not trained enough to
face the challenges but simply because we seem not to be prepared, at all, for
the war. A lot of sabotage, politics and other extraneous factors are seriously
inhibiting the success of the war. Unfortunately, we are losing a lot in men
and material. It is so much that whenever the toll will be taken, the world
will weep for this country. Already, thousands of families are in deep grief,
having lost their dear ones in the war.
As we speak, I have deserted from
the battle field at Bajoga, Yobe State. Let me give you a vivid account of the
circumstances that led to my deserting the profession I love so much.
MY STORY
Until the unfortunate and very
painful AWOL, I was serving in Bauchi as a Sergeant. While carrying out our
normal duties, I was abreast of the ongoing war my colleagues were waging with
Boko Haram and I was inwardly praying for an action whenever I would be drafted
to the front. Alas, my battalion was informed of a certain foreign mission. I
was ecstatic, knowing that we always triumphed during such missions.
Unfortunately, when the real action came, I regretted joining the Nigerian
army.
FOREIGN MISSION SIGNAL
After the signal came for the
mission, we started training from Ohafia in Abia State. Later on, we heard that
the operation had been changed from peace keeping in Liberia to Zaman-Lafia in
the North East. We thought it was a joke and when we finished the training at
Ohafia, we were sent to Jaji in kaduna State. It was at Jaji we realised that
the rumour of going to the North East was true and we all knew that it meant
going to fight the insurgents called Boko Haram.
We were very sad because most
of us were due for compensation and that was why they selected us to go for
foreign mission. About 90% of us were victims of previous attacks at Bama and
other areas and we lost both our loved ones and properties. So, military
authorities selected us for foreign mission as a way of compensating us but
unfortunately, we were diverted to go and fight Boko Haram insurgents.
MOVEMENT TO GOMBE
We, however, took it in good faith
and after we completed our one month training, they moved us to Gombe. That
should be around early January this year. On arrival around 2pm the next day,
the Brigade Commander came to address us. To our chagrin, he told us that even
members of Boko Haram were aware that we were coming, that they had sent a text
message to him that we were coming to attack them with the local hunters and
heavy equipment and that they were ready for us.
DISAGREEMENT WITH COMMANDER
The following day, he wanted to move
us (about 600) to Mallam-Sidi area of the state but we objected because our
Commanding Officer had not come and those heavy tanks, like the APC’s and other
supporting weapons were not equipped for the battle ahead.
The following day when the Commanding Officer
came, he compelled us to move to the place, saying that it would be more
conducive and safe for us to stay there than being left at the open and
ill-equipped barrack in Gombe. We then moved to Mallam-Sidi where we spent
almost two weeks before advancing to the war front. While we were there, they
told us they were making provision for all those weapons that were not
available. And actually, while there, they brought three armoured tanks,
replaced some of the APC’s that were in bad condition and brought new ones.
MOVEMENT TO THE BATTLE FIELD
On a Sunday, precisely on the 8th of
February, around 2am, we advanced towards Bajoga, a town between Yobe and Gombe
States. We were there before 6am. Before advancing to the battle field,we were
fed with tasteless jollof rice that was as dinner. About 9.30 to 10 am we
started advancing to the location where the insurgents were. While we were
advancing, the three helicopter gun -ships that we were earlier promised would
assist in the operation hovered round and landed. Even the Alpha jet came and
all of us were jubilant and battle -ready to win at all costs.
HOPE DASHED
However, five minutes before we met
with our target, the helicopter and alpha jet disappeared. Even at the peak of
the battle, our commander called them for backup but they did not surface. The
battle raged for over four hours, they were surging like locusts towards us
with sophisticated weapons including ant-aircraft guns. In conventional wars,
such weapons are not used on human beings. They are used to fell aircrafts.
But, the insurgents use them brazenly to kill our soldiers. It tears human body
into shreds on contact.
OUR EQUIPMENT
It is pertinent to let you know how
we were equipped for the war. Before the battle, they gave us three armoured
tanks, three artillery guns, five APC’s, grenade launchers and AK47 rifles with
three magazines per soldier. But on the day we started advancing, only one
armoured tank , five APC’s, and artillery guns advanced with us. If we had gone
into battle with, at least, the three armoured tanks, nothing would have made
us lose the war. As the battle raged, it did not take time for their fire power
to surpass ours.
SUICIDE BOMBING
Initially, we had upper hand, but
they struck with two golf cars loaded with bombs and dislodged us. It was a
suicide mission. The explosion covered the whole area with thick smoke and the
insurgents used the opportunity to advance towards us. In the process, we were
asked to withdraw because they were coming ferociously. We were killing them
but they kept on advancing like bees. Then, it was almost 5pm.
RACE FOR SURVIVIAL
That was how the race for survival
by our men started. You know the terrain is a very open and large expanse of
land with scanty vegetation. It was just like running in a football field with
no place to hide. We ran into a small settlement and they pursued us. They were
quite familiar with the terrain but we were not.
We succeeded in crossing the first
stagnant river, before we noticed the presence of our alpha jet which started
backing us up. That did not deter the insurgents from pursuing and killing our
soldiers one by one.
IT IS NOT THE WAR YOU KNOW
While we were running for dear
lives, some soldiers were falling by the wayside after losing strength to
continue with the long race for survival. In fact, because of the fact that we
were not equipped with water bottles, our throats were drying up as we
continued running. It got to a stage when dehydration set in and if you try to
swallow saliva, it will be almost impossible and choking. Our spit was so
white, slimy and it splattered on the faces of most of us due to exhaustion.
One of the most pathetic cases was
that of a colleague who got exhausted and simply collapsed on the ground. He
was even pleading with us to continue without him because he could no longer
make it. One of our officers, a Lieutenant pleaded that we should lend a helping
hand by jointly helping him to continue with us. His plea touched us and we
tried our best to help but we were also too exhausted to help offer help.
BUT THE WAR THEY FOUGHT
Nevertheless, some of us tried to
help him but we could not continue when we saw the way the insurgents were
running towards us. We dropped him and only God knows what happened later. As
we were running, bodies of many of our soldiers, both wounded and killed
littered the open field. It was heart-rending seeing a close friend lying
helplessly and you could not help because your own life was in grave danger and
you were not sure of survival.
When we were about crossing the
second shallow river, the villagers we met told us that we were in between
Borno and Adamawa States that from there to Bajoga was 75klm. Surprisingly, the
villagers were very friendly and even gave us water. They were about giving us
food but advised that we should quickly continue with our journey in order to
avoid the insurgents meeting us.
They arranged three vehicles that
lifted us for about a kilometre and the driver refused to proceed further
claiming that the road was not good. We quickly disembarked and trekked all
night till around 5am when we entered a village and met members of the local
vigilante who helped us to arrange for two Diana Trucks that carried us to
Bajoga junction. From there, we entered another vehicle to Mallam-Sidi and that
was where we met some of our soldiers with serious bullet wounds.
The wounded among us pleaded with
the second in command to take them to the hospital in Gombe but he objected
saying that order has been given to move everybody to Ashaka where we use as
harbour. After some deliberations and objections, we had no option than to obey
him. When we got to Ashaka, to our chagrin, instead of taking urgent care of
the wounded, feeding us and even given us a day rest after our narrow escape,
the Commander ordered that we should turn back and advance, back to the battle
field. That was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. At that stage,
many of us decided inwardly to dessert the army and that was exactly what we
did.
I handed my gun to one of my
colleagues to return to armoury after I left through the nearest way in the
midnight. I trekked for two hours to the main road before I boarded a bike that
unfortunately missed the road and we saw ourselves back at Ashaka.
I then disappeared amongst the crowd
at one of the checkpoints and went to the motor park where I boarded a vehicle
towards Abuja. It took time for me to take that decision because this is a
profession I love so much and I have put in about 20 years. Agreed that from
day one, we signed to fight and die for our dear country, but of what use will
it be when it was obvious to me that things could be done differently and we
would have results. For instance, we were supposed to be paid N5000 daily but
what our Commanders paid was N1000.
If you sustain injury in the battle
field, you spend your money treating yourself. The worst is that we were not
adequately equipped for the war. We only got to battle field with our rifles,
no kits, no vision goggles etc and this is an oil rich country where
politicians are embezzle trillions yet, this battle that calls for the best in
both incentives, morale and equipment is being fought this way at the grave
expense of our dear lives. Our military is strong and can do better if well
funded and equipped. As I speak, many soldiers have deserted the army.
Their families are starving in the
barracks. The most painful aspect of the whole thing is that after the battle,
no efforts were made to ascertain or give account of our dead and wounded
soldiers. The dead ones are left in the battle fields while most of the wounded
die agonizing death. What the authorities do is to close account of soldiers
not seen after some time days.
In the past few days, however, it
has been reported that the military has received more equipment and their
forces have made reasonable inroads into terrorist’s camps and they have
recorded reasonable success although the battle is far from being won.
(VANGUARD)
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