Nigerian soldiers beg for food, water in video leak

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - A video showing dozens of Nigerian soldiers complaining about lack of food and water at their camp has surfaced on social media sites, leaving the military embarrassed over allegations it does not take care of its troops fighting the Boko Haram insurgency.

The footage -- published on Twitter and Facebook on Tuesday -- showed the soldiers appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on army authorities to take care of them.

At least three soldiers were shown lying on the floor in the video as a speaker narrated the alleged rampant case of “dehydration and lack of food” at the soldiers’ camp.

The military rejected the allegations.

Army spokesman Sani Usman said the footage was not new and that concerns raised by the troops had long been addressed. He described the circulation of the footage as “mischievous” that targeted at creating a “false impression”.

“We wish to state that the video clip was shot more than six months ago by some mischievous and disgruntled elements when 29 Task Force Brigade captured Alagarno Forest and environs in Borno State,” Usman said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We wish to state further that the matter was conclusively investigated at the time, several months ago. The Board of Inquiry actually showed that, as at the time of the incident, the unit’s water tanker still contained water, but a soldier mischievously concealed it. That soldier was charged and punished accordingly,” he added.