…. Army Declares Missing Troops Deserters Weeks After ISWAP Attack
…Military Orders Nationwide Manhunt, Freezes Affected Personnel’s Accounts
Daud Olatunji
The Nigerian Army has declared 104 soldiers attached to the 162 Amphibious Battalion deserters after they allegedly disappeared with their service rifles in the aftermath of a deadly attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on a military base in Borno State.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the soldiers, deployed along the Mandara–Buratai Road, have remained unaccounted for since June 5, when insurgents launched a coordinated overnight assault on their base, exploiting heavy rainfall and poor visibility.
An internal military signal, reportedly signed by Lieutenant FI Ndubuisi, accused the troops of abandoning their duty post and fleeing to unknown locations with their personal weapons.
The signal stated that the personnel, led by Staff Sergeant Idris Mohammed, failed to report back for duty weeks after the attack and had consequently been declared deserters.
It further directed military formations and units across the country to apprehend any of the affected personnel found within their areas of responsibility and hand them over to the appropriate authorities.
Military sources also disclosed that the bank accounts of the affected soldiers had been frozen pending their arrest, although the Nigerian Army has yet to officially confirm the measure.
The 104 personnel comprise one staff sergeant, three sergeants, seven corporals, 38 lance corporals and 55 privates.
The development comes weeks after suspected ISWAP insurgents overran the battalion’s position in a deadly raid that left several casualties.
Following the June 5 attack, the Nigerian Army confirmed that five soldiers and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed during the assault.
However, the Army has yet to issue a public statement on the reported declaration of the 104 soldiers as deserters.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages to her were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The names and service numbers of the affected personnel were contained in the leaked internal military signal, although the Army has not officially released the list.
Source : Premium Tines
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
