We are not cowards, 24 dismissed soldiers beg Buratai.

ABUJA
On 13 December 2015, 24 soldiers from the 118 Task Force Battalion in Borno State were dismissed from the Nigerian Army by their Commanding Officer for desertion.

The soldiers comprising seven corporals, ten lance corporals and seven privates have now petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai against their unlawful dismissal which they said was done without a boardroom trial.

In the petition dated January 6, 2016 which was addressed to the Chief of Army Staff and copied to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, and the Minister of Defence, Big-Gen Dan Ali, retd., counsel to the dismissed soldiers, Mr Johnson Oyewole said that their travails started when their battalion was sacked by Boko Haram fighters while they were on a mission to Damasak in Borno State in December last year.

Following the attack in which they lost some men, the troops retreated to Gubio local government area in Borno State according to Oyewole

Soon after, the Commanding Officer sent a civilian truck to move the troops to Baga Cross, but they resisted the order because the truck lacked the capacity to safely take them to the designated location.

Oyewole said that the Commanding Officer subsequently sent a military truck that took the troops to Baga Cross only to summarily try and dismiss them for desertion and being absent from duty for six days.

The dismissed soldiers as listed in the petition are :
Corporals Endurance Ekparba, Onyile Jeremiah, Johnny Donnish, Francis Obi, Uche Eke, Bitrus Ntasiri and Chima Rapheal;
Lance corporals Timothy Adeleye, Felix Musa, Nande Samson, Segi Inemotimi, Bashir Lawal, Morgak Sagak, Inubile Yunusa, Nafiu Ahmed, Balogun Sunday, Madu Oniuenyin and Privates Shaba Muhammad, Joshua Yohanna, Obasi Enyinanya, Osam Loveday, Okon Solomon, Albar Amishe and Sani Yusuf.

Barr Oyewole urged the Chief of Army Staff to look into the wrongful dismissal of his clients. He maintained that the soldiers are not cowards or deserters but are eager to continue the fight against the terrorists.