HOW HAUSA/FULANI, YORUBA SOLDIERS RAPE AND LOOT NIGER DELTA - AN INSIDER'S ACCOUNT

'We Are Serving A Bunch Of Thieves'

•An Army officer writes TheNEWS, counsels President Umar Yar'Adua

Dear Sir,

I read your expose on the corruption in the Nigerian Army (NA) and the "concerned majors letter." It is because of this and subsequent issues that I need to make your acquaintance. For those who cannot speak, you have spoken all. However, Sir, I wish to contribute in my very small way, to the greatness of this country, not by carrying arms, but by conveying the conscience of an oppressed people to you.

The issues I have to raise are quite numerous, I pray my essay makes interesting reading. Once again, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please be patient with me as I build up.

advertisement

1. Nigerian Army and Military Coups:
As an insider I tell you the possibility of a military coup succeeding in modern day Nigeria is like that of a snowball in hell. We realize that the same thieving generals that have misled us in the past to illegally acquire power, do so only to benefit themselves and their immediate families. A large majority of the military suffered hell during military rule. The Nigerian people should know that we the junior officers will protect democracy with our blood and for this reason they should be more concerned about our plight, for they are many. Mr. President should know that he needs have no fear of the thieving generals. The politicians fear that if they touch the generals, then the Army will revolt. This is a very pathetic joke, because we despise them utterly for all they have done and for all they are doing to us, our lives and the future of this nation.
Have no fear, the warning of the Majors is not directed at the nation or its leaders. Remember Ghana and Jerry Rawlings, and it will be a night of very long knives. For once in the living memory of my generation, I have a President and a nation worth dying for. Please Nigeria, do not let us down, we are your Army, you are beginning to enjoy democracy, whereas we are under brutally corrupt dictatorial regimes of "generals" who are supposed to oversee us. We are the ones for once who require rescue !

2. Having said that, let me highlight certain issues your paper did not bring out, issues that are stoking hatred, apathy, disenchantment and mutinous emotion.

a. The bastardization of the training institution, specifically the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (Jaji), where instructors (directing staff) collect bribes from student-officers and indulge in tribalistic sentiments in order to award marks and consequently grades.

b. The wholesale deployment of Hausa Fulani and Yoruba officer stock to the Niger Delta.

There, they all become millionaires, whereas Niger-Delta and Ibo officers are deployed to training schools and other units in the far flung corners of the northern states. The idea being to have officers and soldiers who would have no qualms in committing mass slaughter of the ethnic stock they have no interest in. Only their people benefit from the rape of the Niger Delta, its inherent carnage and suffering. One would think it would have made sense to deploy more officers of the local ethnic stock, if there was a genuine desire to contain the crisis. They, however, desire its perpetuation, as this benefits them financially. I have personally lost a father and two brothers to these crises. Nobody wants an end to these crises more than me. Some of us warned about this turn of events. In the Nigerian Army, nobody listens to the young officer. Listen to me now sir, and mark well my words: The Nigerian Army is on the threshold of disintegration along tribal lines, we have seen the cracks, and they are ever widening, such that would make my paragraph 1 useless.

3. We are actually quite used to being robbed by these generals. We pay for electricity (deducted from source), yet today alone I saw a power bill of about N5 million for just my unit ! Poor Nigeria, are you still wondering why the PHCN cannot function? We also pay for water, yet same thing apllies. I pay N4,500/mth to have a tanker deliver water to my house! Compare and contrast between the paycheck of an officer in the Finance Department and his colleague of the same rank outside the department. The Finance Deparment we know is a cult group, what would it take government to conduct a very simple peep into some of their account books? The figures will get you wishing you joined the Army!

advertisement

4. You interviewed General Giwa- Amu. Well, if you wanted truthful answers you should have asked someone who hasn't spent most of his military life abroad. How many of us can say we have even smelt the airport? People like him have benefited so much from the system, there can be nothing wrong with it. His claims about the achievements of his boss are true but bloated. I will soon address these issues. Gen. Luka Yusuf we believe, genuinely wants a progressive change in the status quo. However, his hands are tied by some Army top brass. The Majors also complained of the failure of the NA Games and military ex-Eagle Ring. Well that was thanks to some past public figures.

5. Sir, permit me to let you in on a secret. During the last NA Exercise Eagle Ring, I heard the Minister of Defence speaking wonderfully of the operational preparedness of the NA. You will weep bitterly if only you and Nigeria knew the truth. For that exercise to hold ( a brigade i.e. 3 battalions, simulated battle), the Nigerian Army was almost functionally paralyzed. Mostly dysfunctional vehicles and equipment had to be borrowed from units all over the country. Our training exercise almost failed to hold in Jaji then because we had borrowed out three of the six personnel carriers for the exercise. The Nigerian Army today cannot defend this country against Cameroon. You can take that to any bank. Most units do not even have a single transport vehicle to convey troops! Mr. President should know, that if the Villa is attacked by a trained, competent force, the so-called Army he has around him will be worth less than traffic wardens. I have served in the Presidential Guard and I tell you dear sir, we do not even have a rehearsed evacuation/protection plan for Mr. President. As a member of Special Forces, I seriously suggest Mr. President to revisit some of these issues. Do not let the Army break or else what will follow is better imagined. By the way sir, have you heard of the mass exodus of mostly regular combatant officers? This is dangerous sir. Please speak as you have done before. I heard you, who knows who might be next, perhaps Mr President.

I wish to contribute in any way I can to the greatness of this country and its democracy. I ask for NOTHING; instead, I place myself at your service. I have been serving a bunch of thieves with my sweat and blood all this while. Now I want to sweat and bleed for truth, justice and a greater Nigeria.

I trust you.