Nigerian Soldier Detained Underground by Boko Haram Suspects for Expressing Family Concerns Over 70k Transport Costs

“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.”

In February, the soldier was taken into custody following the viral release of a video in which he bemoaned about spending a year in the Borno wilderness and receiving a pass to visit his family, but being unable to do so due to his N50,000 wage.

SaharaReporters revealed how he was transferred to the Military Special Investigation Bureau’s underground cell in Abuja a few weeks after his detention.

Terrorists from Boko Haram in the nation’s capital are the target of the SIB underground cell.

“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,” a source had told SaharaReporters.

“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 complains are about the Army, not the Navy or Air force.

“Our Army generals don’t want the truth, meanwhile, the real truth is out.”

According to a military source who spoke with SaharaReporters on Thursday, the soldier has been detained since his arrest in order to maintain media silence over his case.

“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.”