The Nigerian military has confirmed that some of it’s soldiers are still missing after Boko Haram and Islamic State fighters attacked army bases in Metele and Baga, Borno State.
The attack was carried out in November 2018, but six months after the attack the soldiers are still in captivity.
On Sunday the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) said it was still trying to rescue the soldiers.
It said in a statement that the operation “is progressing steadily and is committed to rescuing all personnel who were declared missing in action.”
23 soldiers died in the attack on the military base in Metele, but scores of soldiers went missing.
The military in the past often denies the gravity of such attacks and whether it’s men get abducted.
But a senior military official Col Timothy Antigha in a statement said “The MNJTF had referenced a couple of ISWAP attacks on troops’ locations in Metele and Baga between December 2018 and January 2019.
The MNJTF had made it known that there were personnel casualties and others missing in action.
“Following ISWAP attack on troops’ locations in Baga and surrounding localities between December 2018 and January 2019, the MNJTF launched Operation Yancin Tafki to rescue missing personnel and recover lost equipment.”
“The MNJTF therefore wishes to assure the good people of the Lake Chad region that the force will never leave any personnel behind, as the operation continues,” the statement added.
Poor conditions for soldiers
Meanwhile local media PUNCH has reported that some soldiers have complained about poor allowances.
These soldiers are part of the troops tasked to fight Boko Haram militants.
The newspaper quoted a soldier in Borno State saying “Soldiers in the frontline are not finding it easy. The allowances given to us are very poor.
We expect that if the insurgency war started in 2014, by now, there should be increment in allowances so as to boost our morale. But what do we get? What do our families gain if we die?
Boko Haram strikes every moment and they can still strike our bases. If any soldier dies, who takes care of his family? Who sends his children to school? I believe the allowances given to us should be reviewed.”
Boko Haram has been wrecking havoc across Nigeria and other neighboring West African nations.
Millions have been displaced and hundreds killed in the group’s insurgencies. Nigeria’s government is yet to win the battle against the group.
Source: Africafeeds.com
