BEVERLY HILLS, August 02, (THEWILL) – The military high command has arrested and detained a captain and no fewer than 70 others for the mutiny by officers and men of Nigerian Army at Maiduguri Airport two weeks ago.
THEWILL recalls that the soldiers caused a scene at the airport as they refused to be redeployed to Gamboru Ngala, a border town in Borno State with Niger Republic, which is known as the stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents.
The soldiers rejected their posting citing war fatigue as most of them had been fighting Boko Haram insurgents for years without rotation.
It was gathered that the soldiers particularly loathed the idea of being sent to the warfront, given the fact that many of their colleagues who were earlier sent there were either killed or badly injured and their equipment taken away by the rampaging insurgents due to bad weather and insufficient platforms.
The arrest and detention of the suspects, according to competent military sources, followed the order by Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, that the suspects be arrested and subjected to severe military disciplinary action.
Following the directive by the COAS, the suspects had since been moved into two unknown locations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, with a view to subjecting them to a court martial.
Speaking on the incident, Buratai described the action of the soldiers as strange and unacceptable.
“The incident at the Maiduguri airport that happened just about two weeks ago is an issue, which ordinarily is unimaginable, that disciplined troops, soldiers will behave in that way.
“But we have our procedures and this issue has been thoroughly investigated and those that have been found to be involved will face military justice. This sort of affairs will never be tolerated no matter the person or persons involved,” he said.
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