More than 300 soldiers tender resignation to Buratai over ‘loss of interest’

More than 300 soldiers in the North-East and other theatres of operation have applied to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, for voluntary retirement.

The soldiers cited “loss of interest” as their major reason for resigning.

Onyxnews Nigeria quotes The Punch reporting that the soldiers wrote to the army chief on July 3, 2020, under Reference NA/COAS/001, quoting the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service soldiers/rating/airmen (Revised) 2017.

The approval of the voluntary retirement of the 356 soldiers was contained in a 17-page circular from Buratai, AHQ DOAA/G1/300/92, signed by Brig Gen T.E. Gagariga for the army chief and obtained by Onyxnews Nigeria on Saturday.

Also, the document was copied to Headquarters, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, Borno State, the Headquarters of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 81, and 82 Divisions of the Nigerian Army and other formations.

Onyxnews Nigeria gathered from the list of majority of the soldiers applying for voluntary disengagement and citing loss of interest are from the North-East theatre of operation – a development which military sources attributed to loss of morale, poor weapons, unimproved allowances and the continuous loss of soldiers life to Boko Haram attacks.

Since the beginning of year 2020, Boko Haram onslaughts on military locations in the North-East have also intensified with massive casualties on the part of the Nigerian Army troops.

In March, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, said 47 soldiers were killed by a bomb explosion by Boko Haram insurgents in Gorigi near Allargano Forest area in Borno State.

In the same month, the army confirmed losing three soldiers while others were injured in a Boko Haram attack in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno.

Also in May, the terrorists attacked an army location, for 156 Battalion in the Mainok area with at least 10 gun trucks, killing five soldiers, while others were seriously wounded.