Army detains 44 soldiers in underground cell in Jos

Premium Times has learnt that at least 44 soldiers of the Nigerian army are currently being held and languishing in an underground cell in Jos. The soldiers were part of those stationed in Mubi, Adamawa State, when the town was overrun and captured by Boko Haram insurgents last October.

According to reports, soldiers in the town failed to engage the attacking terrorists and fled their barracks leaving the town defenceless.

The 44 soldiers that include five staff Sergeants, two Sergeants, five Corporals, 18 Lance Corporals, and 14 Privates, were dislodged by the terrorists on October 28, 2014. They were then arrested and detained for 10 days before being moved to an underground detention cell in Jos where they have since been.

Their charges are not known yet and the army is yet to arraign them for any offence.

The affected soldiers are Staff Sergeants – Ali Bako, Daramola Segun, Zakariya jibrin, Abdulrazaq Ahmed, and Abdulhamid Musa; Sergeants – Damiel Sunday, Ajayi Danladi; Corporals – Elijah Bisuakefe, Bulus Andrew, Adamu Ladan, Ponmark jatau, and Kurmi Rumu; Lance Corporal – Chilaka Pius, Kuyoro Joseph, Lawal Asheik, Friday Jacob, Oyinah Ifubaraboye, Abubakar Haruna, Abbas Iliyasu, Clement Ebong, Odesanya Olatunji, Gilbert Paul, Abdullahi Kamal, Olayinka Aremu, Tumba Ignatius, Yakubu Kyari, Danjuma Kadiri, Emmanuel James, Musa Isah, and Isah Mohammed; Privates – Tijani Adamu, Ibrahim Aliyu, Suleiman Bali, Musa Abu, Peter Saiynan, Williams Ojeje, Mohammed Yakubu, Adebayo Damilola, Joseph Sampson, Adagunodo Oluwafemi, Amos bala, Familola Johnson, Jesse Nunaya, and Ekpong Orem.

The detention of the soldiers seems to be in line with moves by the military to curtail what it described as a wave of indiscipline and cowardice among soldiers as it attempts to rev up its campaign against Boko Haram insurgents who have captured large swath of towns and village in their attempt to form an Islamic caliphate.

Source: Premium Times