A Nigerian soldier stationed in Maiduguri, Borno State who expressed his frustration at being unable to visit his family due to the transport fare has remained in detention for months.
The soldier was in February arrested after a video of him lamenting how he spent one year in the bush in Borno and was given a pass to visit his family but could not go because of his N50,000 salary went viral.In the video, he said he was told at the motor park that the transport fare to his town was N35,000, meaning that the trip would cost him N70,000 to and fro.
Speaking in pidgin English, the soldier had said, “See wahala oo, the Nigerian Army gave me a pass as I spent one year in Maiduguri today, they gave me a pass to go and see my family. “As I left the bush, I reached the park and they (transporters) told me that from here to my town is N35,000. I calculated it and going and coming back is N70,000 and N50,000 is my salary that I was paid this month. “I don’t have any option again; I’m going back to the bush.”
Weeks after his arrest, it was widely reported how he was moved to the Military Special Investigation Bureau underground cell in Abuja. The SIB underground cell is meant for Boko Haram terrorists in the nation’s capital. “This very soldier who complained about the current situation and the transport fare from Maiduguri to go and see his parents and relatives has been moved to an underground cell in Abuja,” the source said.
“His family members don’t even have access to him again. We were told that the Chief of Army Staff asked the Theatre commander to take the soldier either Abuja or Lagos for interrogation but he was later taken to SIB underground cell in Abuja. “If I may ask again, what was his offence, someone complained about his salary, he is a human being like every other person.
We are asking every international human right activists to help this soldier.” Another soldier had added, “SIB underground cell in Abuja is same place the Army authorities keep Boko Haram suspects. We want international human right organizations to be involved, if not, this innocent boy will suffer a lot. “Our salaries are not longer a secret, private soldiers like him receive N50,000 as monthly payment, even the present Chief of Defence Staff said it before the Senate and House of Reps, so I don’t see the reason taking this soldier to SIB underground Abuja for interrogation.
“We are just serving the nation but most of us are not happy with the bad system on ground right now. If you check the military, most of these complaints are about the Army, not the Navy or Air force. “Our Army generals don’t want the truth, meanwhile, the real truth is out.” On Thursday, a military source said that the soldier has been kept in detention since his arrest to ensure media silence over his matter.
“The army authorities are still detaining the soldier from Northeast who failed to travel due to the high cost of transportation. The soldier is still in detention over here in Abuja. He is at the SIB of the military police for nothing sake.”
