The Nigerian Army has dismissed six soldiers from its service for allegedly fleeing the scene of a Boko Haram attack in Damboa, Borno State, military sources have said.
The soldiers, attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, were said to have withdrawn from the war front after running out of ammunition during the fight with terrorists.
The dismissed soldiers are: PTE OLANIYI EMMANUEL (19NA/78/0690); PTE MASA’UDU ADAMU (20NA/79/3745); PTE ABDUL AZEE SALEH (22NA/82/5192); PTE MOHAMMED MOHAMMED (22NA/82/1721); PTE ADAH TOYE (22NA/82/1191); PTE HASSAN ABUBAKAR (22NA/82/1909).
A military source described the punishment as unfair, stating that the soldiers fled after exhausting their ammunition.
The source blamed the lack of sufficient arms and ammunition for the soldiers’ inability to combat the insurgents effectively. The source also attributed the death of over 10 soldiers during the attack to poor firepower and inadequate equipment.
“Boko Haram successfully infiltrated into our location during the month and caused KIA and WIA. So some of our colleagues fled during the battle and were all charged and dismissed for not retaliating,” he added.
