Three hundred and eighty (380) Nigerian soldiers are formally exiting the Army.
Out of that number, 356 are leaving for “losing interest”, 24 are exiting because they want “to take traditional title” and another six are being discharged based on the recommendation of the armed force’s medical board.
“That the reason given by most of them is ‘loss of interest’ is an indication of low morale in the army due to poor leadership,” an army insider told Premium Times, claiming the Army had been “broken, demoralised and polarised more than ever before under Buratai”.
The newspaper reports that Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, has already approved the discharge of the soldiers who are exiting voluntarily.
He gave the approval this July saying they are to proceed on terminal leave on December 20 and will be disengaged on January 3, 2021, the outlet added
Apart from those who have chosen to take the official route in exiting, many soldiers have deserted the army especially from among the troops fighting Boko Haram in the Northeast, sources in the frontline said.
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“They just abandoned their guns and uniforms and ran away,” one source said. On Tuesday, troops of 25 Brigade on patrol were ambushed by terrorists on Damboa-Maiduguri Road.
At least 37 soldiers were killed and dozens unaccounted for, according to security sources.
However, the military officially put the death toll at two soldiers, while it said 17 terrorists were killed.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the army, Musa Sagir, denied claim of low morale in the army. “The Nigerian Army is in very high morale,” Mr Sagir said.
He added that the army is “very well” prosecuting all the operations it is involved in whether “the insurgency in the Northeast and banditry in the Northwest”.
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