A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC.

The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.

The military has not commented on the reported mutiny or the demands.

A state of emergency that was declared in three north-eastern states last year has failed to curb the insurgency.

Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.

“Soldiers are dying like fowl,” the soldier, who said he and his colleagues were just outside Maiduguri, told the BBC service.

“The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram,” he said, explaining that soldiers were not being given enough weapons and ammunition to take them on.

“Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere,” he said “They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers,” he said.

Even the vehicles the soldiers were expected to use were old armoured cars that were not up to the job, he added.

A general in the army, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that he was unable to confirm the mutiny, but said “cowardice” was not uncommon in times of war – and any mutineers would be punished.

When the solder was asked if he feared being court-martialled for taking part in the mutiny, he said that a soldier could only be taken to task for refusing to go to war.

“I joined the army to defend my country”, but you cannot defend it without being equipped to do so, he said.

In April, Boko Haram caused global outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.

The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.

SOURCE: BBC News

The soldiers are right. If the government want to end boko haram, they can do it within one week. Equip this soldiers and see wonders. Nigerian army aren't that bad, the top officers are just frustrating the soldiers in this fight against insurgency.

Politics stinks in nigeria. This whole insurgency and kidnap is more political than extremism

I support this movement. Withdraw until you get well equipped.
You pledged to protect the citizen. You did not sign a death warrant.
I love this country (with all my heart), but not to the point of dying for it. And that's because it's not worth dying for.
I wont advise the soldiers (just like i wont advise my brother) to enter that forest full of metals with toy guns

They deserve mo than that......
they are really doing d best fr nigeria
afta dem go advrtise d good soldiers fr TV n even sing song join lyk say dem rily support dem when d good gallant men are busy fighting terror in d North ....mk dem free dem wat dey nid abg....

The FG never takes anything serious until it hits them on the head. I so wish the so called Boko Haram would think straight for ones and help us lunch a successful bomb attack on Aso Rock and delete all those corrupt pot belly naggers. They would turn from terrorist to heroes

Honestly the government are not helping this men that volunteered themselves to fight for the nation.

My nephew came from Borno last three weeks, he said of the 14 passengers in the bus 12 are soldiers disguised as civilians deserting the army, some said they rather go and do okada in onitsha than be used as sacrificial lamb in Borno, one said his mother told him to leave and come back home, generally moral is low for the army in Borno for the soldiers

I have met an army officer that told me the major problem in this boko haram war is Moral is low among the soldiers, he said there is a soldeir killed in this BH crisis that his family were told to leave the barracks after some month with nothing , he also said there is. A wife of a young soldier that was killed in this Boko haram war and now the wife survives by following other men around the barracks, now do you think any soldier will sacrifice himself when he knows what will possibly happen to his family after his death..

Sadly this Boko Haram crisis has open the inefficiencies of the Nigerian army, the last time Nigeria was involved in an offensive war was in Biafra, that is why they are helpless, all the generals in Nigeria have never been to war, mind you peace keeping is never offensive.

My honest solution to this crisis is for the government to swallow it pride and contract the war on BH to the chadian army the way the french did in Mali, chad has the most rugged army in the region owing to the long civil war they had before stability came under idris deby. Boko Haram for the first time encroached on chadian soil last week I guess you all heard what happened to them, they were all captured and the entire 85 people they kidnapped in doron-baga were rescued, they BH know that the chadian army are ruthless hence they hardly encroach on them .

Most people that say Nigerian army are good don't really know them, the military in nigeria is one of the most corrupt institution, most of the officer if not all got to NDA through man know man, some are governors, ministers and perm sect children, is it this Ajebutters that you want them to go and fight war for you, most of soldiers joined because they want to brutalize civilians and be local champion, they never thought that a serious war like this will crop up, remember 99% of BH are bloody civilian that turn militant with little or no training, I wonder if this army can handle a full blwn civil war in Nigeria.

Before now the army use to tell us that BH are hiding among civilian that is why they are hard to be caught , now that BH have moved to the Bush is another story.

This government should do something.

They are right! When the Commander-In-Chief is busy commandeering their common wealth into his personal vault while preparing to extend his looting years by another 4 years using every available illegitimate process, the poor soldiers who ordinary should be equipped with extraordinary warfare as the military budget suggests are left to fight with clubs, daggers and outdated non functional tanks!

And in the course of the war they get killed, their families are settled with a paltry 500k after some years!

Vagabonds in power!

Boko-haram + Ebola =problem dey

The Soldiers mutiny is a scam - Asari Dokubo

Again...hmmmm

What can they do if they are not properly equipped?

1United1:

HAH: Ok

MadCow1: yess

neuljosh: nn

ayusco85: M.....

OP na dem be this

HAH: Ok

neuljosh: nn

QMark: ...

neuljosh: nn

ah jst d observ una

Government abeg listen to these people they have families and relatives.


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They are right! They are also humans,with families who love and appreciate them. Why send them to battle ground with inferior materials? The pot-bellied ogas at the top have consumed the funds that ought to be used in acquiring those equipment,and now send their ''omo ise'' to fight. Who wan die? Once in a while,we have to defy authority to survive. Kudos to them!

Na by force to be first to comment?

9ja4Change:
“The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram,”

Okay, we go hire Chad soldiers..... we don't even know your essence....

9ja4Change: A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC.

The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.

The military has not commented on the reported mutiny or the demands.

A state of emergency that was declared in three north-eastern states last year has failed to curb the insurgency.

Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.

“Soldiers are dying like fowl,” the soldier, who said he and his colleagues were just outside Maiduguri, told the BBC service.

“The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram,” he said, explaining that soldiers were not being given enough weapons and ammunition to take them on.

“Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere,” he said “They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers,” he said.

Even the vehicles the soldiers were expected to use were old armoured cars that were not up to the job, he added.

A general in the army, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that he was unable to confirm the mutiny, but said “cowardice” was not uncommon in times of war – and any mutineers would be punished.

When the solder was asked if he feared being court-martialled for taking part in the mutiny, he said that a soldier could only be taken to task for refusing to go to war.

“I joined the army to defend my country”, but you cannot defend it without being equipped to do so, he said.

In April, Boko Haram caused global outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.

The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.

SOURCE: BBC News

GIBBRISH !

chai

I don hear..

Read my signature

Are u telling that what our soldier are using is toy gun or what...

BBC will be quick to report mutiny but will never acknowledge progress.
Ladies and Gents, the West wants our disintegration....... Kapish

Yes there are lots of improvements to be made in our poor military system, but the way the western media gloat over emerging negative news from Nigeria serves an ulterior purpose.

French Reuters is bokoharam media channel, CNN made a show of the bring back our girls campaign, the Joy at which BBC reels out these negative news. Their forces that came to help rescue the girls left without any announcement by these media. Gents, our enemies are right behind our noses

donnypool: Boko-haram + Ebola =problem dey

1United1:

HAH: Ok

MadCow1: yess

Gentlemimi2: They are right!

neuljosh: nn

Gentlemimi2: They are right!

abeg Wetin seun dey give you for first to comment

Hmmmm.

I dont really knw where all thıs ıs headıng to,as for ♍ε̲̣̣̣̥ ı support the army for not goıng to war ıll equıpted.ı belıeve our goverment dont want to fıght thıs BH wıth all serıousness.#teamweneedmorewepon