Brigadier General M.Y. Ibrahim, the newly posted General Officer
Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army located at Maimalari
Barracks, Maiduguri got a taste of soldiers’ fury on Thursday afternoon
as angry soldiers stormed his office to demand that he pay their
allowances and reinstate motorbikes to transport them and members of
their families within the barrack.
Several sources in the barracks said that the soldiers’ second act of
mutiny in two weeks began around 3:00 p.m. (Nigerian time). The angry
soldiers blew a whistle, and most of the rank and file gathered at a
spot before they marched en masse to the 7th Division headquarters
building where the GOC’s office is located.
The sources said the soldiers shot in the air as they marched and
chanted “We no gree oh, we no gree!” Our sources said the protesting
soldiers were upset about the army’s failure to pay their outstanding
allowances. They were also annoyed by the decision of the newly posted
GOC to ban motorcycles as a form of transport within the barracks. The
new GOC reportedly banned motorbikes known as Okada and tricycles known
as “Keke NAPEP” from operating within the vast barracks. The soldiers
wondered why the new commander would prohibit the use of the only
affordable means of transport they have when he knows full well that the
base covers a huge area and that few soldiers own cars or bike.
“If no okada [motorcycles] are allowed, then our small children have
to walk to school and our wives will walk to market,” one of the
soldiers told SaharaReporters. “Are we not suffering too much already?”
he added.
Once they arrived at the GOC’s office, the protesting soldiers
decided to give him a dose of the experience of navigating within the
barracks without motorcycles. They ordered Major General XYZ to come
outside the building, pushing and shoving him. Then they forced him to
trek all through the barracks.
The angry soldiers also demanded the payment of their N100, 000 furniture allowance which, according to them, was long overdue.
But seriously, how could people be out there in the cold, facing blood
sucking vampires and you’re denying them of anything at all?who does
that? SMH