Boko Haram : Some soldiers chicken out of battle – Gen Minimah

on July 19, 2014 / in News 12:31 am / Comments


By KINGSLEY OMONOBI-ABUJA
Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. KTJ Minimah has confirmed the long held secret hat desertion, acts of cowardice and indiscipline within the army in the ongoing fight against terrorism was one of the greatest setbacks in checkmating Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the third quarterly conference of the COAS, via the Defence Headquarters twitter handle @DefenceInfoNG, being a highlight of the COAS admonition, Minimah said “the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops was unbecoming and charged Commanders at all levels to put a stop to it as the Nigerian Army was a professional organization.”Gen-Minimah

He recalled the attempted mutiny by troops in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, against the then GOC 7 Division, Maj.Gen Ahmadu Mohammed saying, “A few issues needs to be urgently addressed that have caught my attention in recent weeks.

Principal among these is the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops. In this regard, the recent mutinous act in Maiduguri and reported destruction of public property in Lagos readily comes to mind. As a professional army, the conduct of our troops must be above board at all times”

Blaming it on the fact that most people, who joined the military in recent times, do so out of the need for employment and not passion for military service, Minimah said, “Desertion is part of warfare. We must accept that since the era of the Cartagena wars, soldiers had deserted from battle field. In our own case, we are doing recruitment now and we are also receiving presentations from across the country, from people who want their wards to be enlisted in the army”.

“But we need to have a thorough recruitment because mind you, there is high level of unemployment on ground; most people want jobs and if that job means joining the army fine. It is a source of employment.

However, when the reality of the military service comes, he drops his riffles. So desertion will continue to be there. We had desertion in ECOMOG; in the Nigerian Civil war and now it will continue to be there”.

“Also, acts of indiscipline will continue to be there but when they are caught, they are investigated and when they are found questionable they will face the Court-Martial”.

“Like I said, in a few months time, the war will be over. But I cannot give you a clear calendar date because this is war on terrorism. It cannot be determined in terms of concrete date”.

On allegations that the army was underperforming in the war on terror, he said, “The Nigerian Army is performing. I know the expectations of the Nigerian citizens but the expectation is rather too much in haste.

We need some time; we need patience and you must know we are fighting terrorism. We are not fighting a conventional war. Nigerian Army is a conventional and regular army”.

“The terrorist is someone you don’t know. It may be someone who sold food or fruit to you in the morning and by the afternoon he is the terrorist. We are having all that inter-play in the battle front in the North-East. We have to be conscious to separate the terrorist from the law abiding citizens and we also have human rights to protect”.

“We are fighting Nigerian citizens we are not fighting foreigners; so caution must be exercised. I appeal and assure that we will certainly surmount it but we also need support from the nation, from all segments of society and from the people including the media. And we need patience and time for us to do it.

We also have the equipment and the FG is introducing fresh and newer equipment to us which in a short while hopefully be there for use”.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/boko-haram-soldiers-chicken-battle-gen-minimah/#sthash.nEVLa2LV.dpuf

AlfaSeltzer: Maybe he should show an example and lead them into battle, like a General.

LordMecuzy: How won't they ChIcken Out?

When the recruitment process is Man Know Man filled with cousins n sons of Generals and Politicians, who see it as a means to Loot our financial treasury.


Thereby Leaving out those with the real Zeal and passion that want to Join the Nigerian Army

arewafederation: This General must be very wicked. You want bunch of underfed underarmed soldiers with their load and shoot rifles to stand against group of fearsome ,heavily armed with sophisticated RPG boko boys while you and other generals are in some luxirious hotel in Abuja receiving massages from your mistresses.
Nigeria is not worth dying for.

lakpalakpa: [size=18pt]Acts of cowardice and indiscipline within the army in the ongoing fight against terrorism was one of the greatest setbacks in checkmating Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
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AlfaSeltzer: Maybe he should show an example and lead them into battle, like a General.

tit:

The general is just glossing over the truth.
The NA is not underfed or underarmed for the conflict with boko haram?
Some other people suggested the public buying equipment and night optics for our soldiers.
I was like "how many night vision optics do boko haram have?"
Are boko haram eating from a five star hotel in sambissa forest?


Minimah can hide the truth from the people,
But he cannot hide it from allah!
The soldiers shickening out from battle are boko haram sympathizers
Do not ask me for further details.

dridowu: Gbam !!! Confirm !!!
@topic, does it worth it dying for my country ? Those that died during active service, have they pay their family? Those they pay, did they pay them the right thing ? Those concurrently on duty, is their any motivation for them ? Lot of question need an answer but i doubt if Gen Minimah can answer them with all sincerity .
Can i die for my country ? Answer not given

arewafederation: This General must be very wicked. You want bunch of underfed underarmed soldiers with their load and shoot rifles to stand against group of fearsome ,heavily armed with sophisticated RPG boko boys while you and other generals are in some luxirious hotel in Abuja receiving massages from your mistresses.
Nigeria is not worth dying for.

pro01:
Then why enlist in the armed forces in the first place? The military is not an institution for mercantile hedonists concerned with profit-making, "welfare", comfort, and a pleasurable life. Anyone who chooses to join the military automatically SIGNS UP TO DIE FOR HIS OR HER COUNTRY. It doesn't matter if you'll be armed with only machetes and then made to face gun-wielding enemies in battle. That is what you voluntarily signed up for.
I find all this "poor welfare" or "lack of equipment" talk nonsensical. Joining the military is optional; you don't go there expecting to have things easy, or to find optimal/ideal conditons. If you don't have balls of steel, a patriotic mindset, and the mental readiness to die in battle, then you have no business seeking 'employment' there in the first place.
These Nigerian military guys are mostly cowards who join the armed forces for the wrong reasons. They want the money, the oppressive prestige conferred by the uniform, the impunity to misbehave or break the law and get away with it, and the opportunity to 'show power' to "bloody civilians". For no less than 90% of current soldiers, these were the main motivations for joining the Nigerian Armed Forces. These mõrons are pathetic and unprofessional cowards for the most part, it's as simple as that.

LordMecuzy: How won't they ChIcken Out?

When the recruitment process is Man Know Man filled with cousins n sons of Generals and Politicians, who see it as a means to Loot our financial treasury.


Thereby Leaving out those with the real Zeal and passion that want to Join the Nigerian Army

Osahon7: get ur source right..Nigerian Army uses AK-47s

arewafederation: This General must be very wicked. You want bunch of underfed underarmed soldiers with their load and shoot rifles to stand against group of fearsome ,heavily armed with sophisticated RPG boko boys while you and other generals are in some luxirious hotel in Abuja receiving massages from your mistresses.
Nigeria is not worth dying for.