Credible sources within the Nigerian Army have revealed how soldiers deployed to the North-East to fight Boko Haram terrorists are being subjected to poor feeding conditions, with the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government approving just N1000 per meal for each soldier.
The sources who spoke to SaharaReporters exclusively said the sum is inadequate to keep them strong and motivated on the warfront
The sources confirmed that the Tinubu’s administration increased the troops’ meal allowance from N45,000 to N90,000 per month per soldier, but the money is not paid directly to soldiers’ accounts.
Instead, the funds are wired to Army commanders, who allegedly pocket a large portion of it before arranging substandard meals.
One soldier under the 27 Task Force Brigade, Gujba Local Government, Yobe State, told SaharaReporters: “Federal Government is paying our commanders N90,000 monthly for each soldier in the North-East who is fighting Boko Haram. The commanders are supposed to provide food three times daily. This means mathematically, the government is giving us N1,000 as a feeding allowance per meal.”
The soldier lamented that the food served is barely edible and lacks the nutrients needed for soldiers risking their lives at the frontline.
“Majority of the soldiers cannot even eat this food because there is no nutrient. Yet they expect us to fight Boko Haram when they come. This is one of the reasons Nigeria keeps losing the war against terrorists. No good food, no strength, no morale to fight these terrorists,” he said.
Troops who spoke with SaharaReporters further explained that until recently, the feeding allowance of N45,000 was paid directly into their accounts, giving them more control over how they fed.
But since the increment to N90,000 under Tinubu’s government, the system was changed, leaving soldiers at the mercy of commanders.
“The generals are embezzling a large portion of this money but we can’t also write off the fact that the allowance itself is too small. What good food do you think N1,000 can buy in this present Nigeria? Even almajiris (street beggars) spend more than N1,000 daily to eat,” another soldier told SaharaReporters.
The soldiers further revealed that there is an official food timetable from the Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri, mandating that all troops across the North-East eat the same meals.
But commanders in remote locations “do whatever they like” and serve low-quality rations.
“There’s a food timetable from headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri. All troops in the North-East are supposed to eat the same food, but because we are in the bush, commanders think they can do anything they like,” a soldier explained.
