₦airaland Forum

On the 21st of May 2020, the Nigerian Army was one of those chosen to attend the The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Scotland. Over 120 countries were invited and were to be paid for attending.

After being robbed, ridiculed and frustrated by the people I swore to serve, I decided to become a whistleblower. For this reason I maintain my anonymity and this is my confession.

I was among the troops of the Nigerian Army trained in Guards Brigade Abuja with the cultural troops of the Ministry of Information and Culture to represent Nigeria in the The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland.

We trained all day from July 2018 to July 27th, 2019(the day of our departure to the event). Throughout the whole year, we were not given any R.C.A for feeding expenses. Feeding came off our personal pockets despite the fact that the Federal government paid the Nigerian Army for our feeding and maintenance expenses. We were not even given accommodation so most of us had to squat with friends around in the barracks. Instead we were deceived when they told us that the Federal Government had a care package and job promotion in store for us, so we had to train hard.

Each soldier was instructed to buy the best kits for journey with our personal funds and the Federal Government would reimburse us for all expenses made. With the measly sum we get paid as wages, I didn’t have enough to purchase as much as I needed

I paid for my passport and my visa fees and I paid for new uniforms (thishas become a norm in the Nigerian Army as we pay for our uniform, boots and complete regalia when in reality, they are supposed to be free as directed by the Federal Government). I also purchased a tailored suit and traditional attire for the sake of uniformity with my comrades at the event.

I also paid for my ticket after running around to secure loans from private individuals and some of my colleagues. Having put the bits together, I was able to afford it.

The day of departure came and each soldier was given 220,000 NGN for any expenses to be made during our stay at Edinburgh and promised more money of which we were entitled to for the trip. Commander Brigadier General Usman stated that the money was for three days and we’d receive the rest of payment upon our return to Nigeria

When the main event finally came, we were excluded from attending the opening ceremony despite other nations’ military present at the event. This was because each soldier was paid 3000 pounds upon arrival at the ceremony (same with other countries that came) and the Nigerian Army did not want us to receive those funds, so they received it in our absence and embezzled the money without our knowledge.

We spent a month and a day in Scotland with no other pay besides the 220k and when we returned to Nigeria, General Usman was suddenly nowhere to be found as he has been posted out. A new Brigade commander was already in place. The new general assured us that he’d look into the issue to make sure we weren’t played. Its been close to a year ever since this promise was made and we are yet to receive our funds. The Nigerian Army knowingly robbed us blind.

Now let us get to the figures to uncover just how deep this is
1. 75 soldiers X 3000 Euros (opening ceremony) = 225,000 Euros(99,000,000 NGN)
2. 220,000 NGN for 3 days, meant we were to be paid 73333.33 NGN per day. We spent a month
in Scotland and that is 2,273,333.33 NGN per soldier (73333.33 X 31 days). So 75 soldiers were meant to be paid 170,500,000 NGN.

TOTAL = 269,000,000 NAIRA
Note that these are the figures I estimated but in reality I believe they embezzled more.

Two out of all of us that went to Scotland were sent to fight against Boko Haram a few months after we returned. They died in combat and still no payouts to their families regarding this issue.

Please share on all social media platforms and all news outlets and if the Nigerian Army wants to deny my claim, I urge every media (national and international) to look into it.

On the 21st of May 2020, the Nigerian Army was one of those chosen to attend the The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Scotland. Over 120 countries were invited and were to be paid for attending.

After being robbed, ridiculed and frustrated by the people I swore to serve, I decided to become a whistleblower. For this reason I maintain my anonymity and this is my confession.

I was among the troops of the Nigerian Army trained in Guards Brigade Abuja with the cultural troops of the Ministry of Information and Culture to represent Nigeria in the The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland.

We trained all day from July 2018 to July 27th, 2019(the day of our departure to the event). Throughout the whole year, we were not given any R.C.A for feeding expenses. Feeding came off our personal pockets despite the fact that the Federal government paid the Nigerian Army for our feeding and maintenance expenses. We were not even given accommodation so most of us had to squat with friends around in the barracks. Instead we were deceived when they told us that the Federal Government had a care package and job promotion in store for us, so we had to train hard.

Each soldier was instructed to buy the best kits for journey with our personal funds and the Federal Government would reimburse us for all expenses made. With the measly sum we get paid as wages, I didn’t have enough to purchase as much as I needed

I paid for my passport and my visa fees and I paid for new uniforms (thishas become a norm in the Nigerian Army as we pay for our uniform, boots and complete regalia when in reality, they are supposed to be free as directed by the Federal Government). I also purchased a tailored suit and traditional attire for the sake of uniformity with my comrades at the event.

I also paid for my ticket after running around to secure loans from private individuals and some of my colleagues. Having put the bits together, I was able to afford it.

The day of departure came and each soldier was given 220,000 NGN for any expenses to be made during our stay at Edinburgh and promised more money of which we were entitled to for the trip. Commander Brigadier General Usman stated that the money was for three days and we’d receive the rest of payment upon our return to Nigeria

When the main event finally came, we were excluded from attending the opening ceremony despite other nations’ military present at the event. This was because each soldier was paid 3000 pounds upon arrival at the ceremony (same with other countries that came) and the Nigerian Army did not want us to receive those funds, so they received it in our absence and embezzled the money without our knowledge.

We spent a month and a day in Scotland with no other pay besides the 220k and when we returned to Nigeria, General Usman was suddenly nowhere to be found as he has been posted out. A new Brigade commander was already in place. The new general assured us that he’d look into the issue to make sure we weren’t played. Its been close to a year ever since this promise was made and we are yet to receive our funds. The Nigerian Army knowingly robbed us blind.

Now let us get to the figures to uncover just how deep this is
1. 75 soldiers X 3000 Euros (opening ceremony) = 225,000 Euros(99,000,000 NGN)
2. 220,000 NGN for 3 days, meant we were to be paid 73333.33 NGN per day. We spent a month
in Scotland and that is 2,273,333.33 NGN per soldier (73333.33 X 31 days). So 75 soldiers were meant to be paid 170,500,000 NGN.

TOTAL = 269,000,000 NAIRA

Note that these are the figures I estimated but in reality I believe they embezzled more.

Two out of all of us that went to Scotland were sent to fight against Boko Haram a few months after we returned. They died in combat and still no payouts to their families regarding this issue.

Please share on all social media platforms and all news outlets and if the Nigerian Army wants to deny my claim, I urge every media (national and international) to look into it.