250 SOLDIERS DESERTED WHEN DEPLOYED TO BATTLE BOKO HARAM

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said the 250 soldiers who protested in Kaduna State earlier in the week were those who deserted when they were told of their deployment to the battle field in the North East.
A statement on Tuesday by the Nigerian Army said the soldiers were among the 2,023 who were reabsorbed into the Service after their dismissal last year.

Their re-absorption was ordered by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.
The soldiers protested at the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Kaduna, Kaduna State, pleading for re-absorption into the Nigerian Army.
But the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sani Usman, said on Tuesday that the soldiers fled when they were told of the decision to deploy them to battle Boko Haram in the North East.
Usman said, however, that when they learnt that some of their colleagues who stayed back were deployed to other places, they decided to play smart by staging the protest.

Usman said in his statement on Tuesday: “The protesting soldiers were those soldiers dismissed last week by the Nigerian Army over gross acts of indiscipline, cowardice and absence without leave. They were part of the 2,023 dismissed soldiers last year that were earlier reinstated back into the Service by the present Chief of Army Staff. However these set of soldiers (the 250) absconded for more than one week when they were told that they were to move to North East on the 6th of January 2016. They started coming back when they realized that others were moved to units other than the theatre of operations in the North East. Please note that all efforts were made to make all the reinstated soldiers comfortable and integrate them back into the system. The protesting soldiers are the few who are recalcitrant to military duties and discipline. They are simply not interested in army job but want to earn salary. No one should listen to them as they are not patriotic at all.
“It should be noted that the Nigerian Army has been tolerant and patient with their acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct. This was based on the understanding of their circumstances and conditions. Efforts have been made to retrain them, integrate and give them sense of belonging. However the attitude of some of them has left so much to be desired and would not be tolerated anymore hence their dismissal from Service. The Nigerian Army thrives on discipline, loyalty and good conduct and if anyone could not measure up to expectation or live by those tenets, he would not be allowed to remain in the system.”