Soldiers serving in the North-East have protested a fresh directive ordering the relocation of “repentant” Boko Haram members into military facilities, describing the move as a threat to troop safety and morale.
The personnel said the directive, which they claimed was issued without adequate consultation, could expose serving soldiers to unnecessary danger and undermine years of sacrifice in the fight against insurgency.
According to the protesting troops, military barracks and operational bases are meant for personnel and their families, not for former insurgents whose loyalty and rehabilitation status remain uncertain.
They argued that placing ex-Boko Haram members within military formations could create tension, compromise security, and send the wrong signal to soldiers who have lost colleagues in the conflict.
“What assurance do we have that these people have truly renounced violence?” one soldier reportedly asked, insisting that the directive should be reviewed in the interest of national security.
The soldiers called on the military high command and the Federal Government to suspend the order and provide clearer guidelines on the handling of repentant insurgents, warning that they would continue to resist any arrangement they consider unsafe or unjust.
