Metele attack: Surviving Nigerian soldiers send SOS to Buhari

Some soldiers who survived the attack by Boko Haram on the
military formation in Metele have sent an SOS to President
Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to probe the quality of weapons
procured by the military authorities and save them from further
avoidable deaths.

In a video sent to journalists in Maiduguri, the soldiers
accused the military authorities of providing them with obsolete
weapons, which they said are grossly inadequate to effectively
confront the insurgents in the ongoing counter insurgency campaign
in the Northeast.

In the amateur video footage, the soldiers also levelled
allegations against the military authorities accusing them of
negligence which resulted into the death of scores of their
colleagues in a series of attacks coordinated by the Albarnawi
faction of the Boko Haram at Metele in Guzamala Local Government
Area of Borno.

Foreign wire agencies reported that dozens of soldiers were
killed when the insurgents attacked Metele military base on
November 18.

In the video, two soldiers, who claimed to be among the
survivors of the attack, narrated the precarious condition of the
troops and obsolete equipment which made it difficult for them to
repel the insurgents’ attack.

The video footage showed the level of destruction of military
equipment and makeshift shelters, while soldiers were seen packing
their luggages, apparently preparing to live the camp.

In the video, the soldiers appealed to President Buhari—they
repeatedly appealed to him—to intervene to save the situation from
deteriorating.

“See what the Nigerian Army has been doing to us, they brought
us here. See how they killed our fellow soldiers, they burn them
inside the tanks”, a narrator in the video said.

“They are using us to make money; why? Are we not human beings?
They can kill soldiers inside a tank; if Rocket Propelled Grenade
(RPG) can penetrate M-RAG vehicle, what of a fellow human
being?

“This is the location called ‘Metele’, This is a place they (the
insurgents) took over 40 barrel and these people want to use us,
and within one week they killed over 200 soldiers and we are now
147, they want to waste us here. It is a lie, our blood is not
here.

“This is a Third World vehicle, a tank manufactured in 1972; and
Albarnawi broke all of it.They want to use us and we are not
getting anything from them.We want to tell the government of our
condition.

“Please; the Federal Government should intervene before the
insurgents come and kill us. They mocked us and said we are
Zombies; animals, we do not know our rights, any order given to us
we will follow.

“We are millennium soldiers, most of us are graduates.

“Look at what they did to this T12 tank; it is obsolete. It was
a 1983 Czechoslovakian tank procured during Shagari’s regime. Is
this the money the Federal Government provided to procure
weapons?

“All the equipment are not working. When it fired two shots it
stopped. All the weapons are obsolete and bought during Shagari
(1979-1983).

“We know about the money the Federal Government gave to them but
the Nigerian Army had turned us into a business.

“All the money federal government gave them to buy weapons…
Nigerian Army is buying INNOSON…. All these are obsolete… Oyinbo
came here and said they are obsolete. All these weapons were bought
during the Shagari regime in 1983… They have turned us to
business…. Federal Government you will hear about it…. All these
weapons are not genuine…if you fire two times you have stoppages.
This is 1983 when Shagari was head of state… Federal Government
give them money, they go and buy INNOSON, Nigerian made… Federal
Government please help us… help us.”

The Nigeria Army on Friday confirmed on its Twitter handle the
attack on 157 Task Force Battalion at Metele, on November 18 by
Boko Haram insurgents.

However, the military authorities response, which came five days
after, was short on details and the extent of casualties.

The army said that it has laid down procedures for reporting
incidents that involve its personnel who become casualties in
action, as a form of respect to the families of the gallant
troops.

It noted that the families were first to be notified before any
form of public information so as to avoid exacerbating their grief
were they to discover it from unofficial sources.

“It is suffice to observe that several social media, print and
online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures as
well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate Boko
Haram terrorists’ propaganda videos, and alluding it to be the
attack on 157 Task Force Battalion.

“While; it is understandable how such misinformation can spread
in this era of social media frenzy, the spurious circulation of
some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the
propaganda intent of the terrorists, misinform the populace and
portray themselves as what they are not?

“So far, the situation in the location is under control as
reinforcing units had been able to repel the terrorists and
stabilize the situation.

In his reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed deep shock
over the killing of military personnel in Metele village by Boko
Haram terrorists.

He gave an assurance that immediate measures are being taken to
ensure that the loopholes which led to the fatalities are blocked
once and for all.

Reacting to the tragic incident, the President said that his
administration remains ever committed and focused on the security
of military personnel and other citizens.

According to President Buhari, “No responsible
Commander-in-Chief would rest on his oars or fold his hands to
allow terrorists to endanger the lives of its military personnel
and other citizens. Our loyal forces have proved their strength
over the terrorists and we are ready to give them all the needed
support in terms of equipment and manpower to succeed in ending the
renewed threat. In the coming days, I am engaging the Military and
Intelligence Chiefs in extensive discussions on the next steps we
shall be taking.”

The President noted that fighting terrorism has taken a global
dimension, which necessitates international collaboration among
states facing similar security challenges.

President Buhari reassured Nigerians of his continued commitment
to their security and of his efforts to sustain the momentum in the
previous significant successes recorded against the terrorists.

He, however, advised Nigerians against making a political
capital out of national tragedy, stressing that members of the
armed forces are one family who are commonly committed to the
security and safety of all Nigerians.

NAN

Related