Lt. Gen. Burantai,
Chief of Army Staff
There was tension at the 55 Battalion
Bonny Camp, Lagos on Thursday following the grumbling by 200 soldiers over the
alleged non-payment of their three months mission allowances.
The 200 soldiers were part of the 800
troops that just returned from Darfur, Sudan, where they had gone to for a
peace keeping operation.
The soldiers after their return, it
was learnt, were redeployed again to the North-East to join the battle against
insurgents.
The contingent is said to be led by
Lt. Col. H. Dasuki, who unconfirmed sources said, is related to the immediate
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
The soldiers said they would not
proceed to Maiduguri except their allowances for the Sudan operation were paid.
This, they argued, would enable them to leave money behind for their
families.
A military source said such posting
without payment of allowances was not acceptable to the military high command
as it was contrary to a directive from the Defence headquarters.
Reacting to the subtle protest, the
Public Relations Officer of the 81 Division, Lt. Col. Kingsley Samuel, said
that the soldiers who returned from foreign mission in Sudan were not involved
in such a protest. He said that that there was no grumbling whatsoever in the
Bonny Camp.
“There is nothing like grumbling in that
battalion. It is not true,” he said.
They are expected to leave Lagos for
Maiduguri on Friday (today).