The Nigerian Army has reacted to an allegation by saying it would investigate and bring to book according to its laws any of its personnel involved in extortion along the Maiduguri Gamboru Ngala road in Borno state.
This reaction is coming at the heels of grievous accusations by one ‘Danborno’ that truck owners pay as much as N0.3 million to ferry their goods across the Maiduguri Ngala international highway to foreign lands and back.
Army spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman said “the army notes with great concern an allegation of complacency and extortion against soldiers by someone with twitter handle called ‘Danborno’ on Social Media, in which he alleged long queues of trucks along Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road, Borno State.
“He also alleged that each truck owner pays the sum of N300,000.00k to soldiers for escorting them. Consequent upon this, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai has ordered for immediate investigation over these allegations.”
Sani noted that the Nigerian Army as a professional military institution thrives on discipline, selflessness and dedication to duty and operates within the confines of the laws, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing it.
“It would not tolerate any act of misdemeanour by any of its personnel. Similarly, we encourage members of the public to take advantage of our toll free telephone number 193 to report any observed lapses or allegation against any officer or soldier.”
The army called on the members of the public to volunteer information when the investigation team comes around to verify the claims of the transporters for further action.
Meanwhile, most of the major highways that connect Nigeria to Cameroon, Niger and Chad have been officially opened by the military who have been escorting civilians who cannot traverse through these roads without military escorts for fear of being ambushed by insurgents very much in the nearby bushes.
This is because of the vastness of the landmass in Borno, which the present crop of over stretched soldiers cannot cover even as some of these areas are too dangerous for the civilian police to man because of their inadequate state of weaponry and other factors.
Union of road transport, NURTW, sources say several food stuff carrying trucks have been hijacked by insurgents on the Maiduguri, Mafa, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala highway since the flag off opening of the road by the Chief of Army Staff Lt General Tukur Buratai and Governor Kashim Shettima in a well attended ceremony last year.
“They always leave our trucks for us after stealing the food which they pack into smaller buses into the Sambisa. They hardly steal our trailers because it would not be useful for them in the bushes,” said a top official of the NURTW.
One of the state executive members of the NURTW also recently denounced the allegation that they were conniving with the military to milk over two hundred cars which used to traverse from Molai through Damboa to southern Borno on a daily basis before the insurgents ambushed and took away serving police women into their base as sex slaves.
Most southern Borno people have avoided that road like a plague choosing instead to use the long route through Gombe state to get to their villages.