Army officer attacks Nigeria’s service chiefs, says they are ‘Nollywood actors’

Angered by what he described as the inability of the military to provide the needed weapons and equipment to defeat the Boko Haram terror sect, and the recent ease at which insurgents were killing senior army officers, a top infantry commander has described the country’s service chiefs as “Nollywood actors”.

T.J. Abdallah, a lieutenant colonel, and the commanding officer (CO) of 151 battalion located at Banki Junction, Borno, is now in trouble with military authorities after making the remarks on a WhatsApp group operated by the 49 regular cadet class of the National Defence Academy (NDA).

A report of an investigation into the activities of the WhatsApp group, ordered by the chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, described Mr Abdallah’s comments as “derogatory” and “seditious”.

The investigation was centred on the exchanges in the group between November 15 to November 17, 2016, soon after B.U. Umar, a lieutenant colonel, was ambushed and killed by the terrorists.

Mr. Abdallah “was very close friend” of late Mr. Umar, the report titled:“Interim Report on the Derogatory Comment Against the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Chief of Army Staff on Social Media by Lieutenant Colonel T.J Abdallah,” revealed.

Apparently angered by the killing of his friend, Mr. Abdallah took to the group to lament the failure of military authorities to supply needed weapons, ammunition, and equipment for the quick defeat of the insurgents.

Describing the service chiefs as “Nollywood actors”, Mr. Abdallah, the report claimed, lambasted them for their lack of initiative, stating that if they had challenges in equipping troops, they should simply surrender to Boko Haram and allow troops to return home.

The report further claimed that Mr. Abdallah urged the service chiefs to inform President Muhammadu Buhari that they were unable to execute the anti-insurgency war any longer.

There have been increased disquiet among troops fighting Boko Haram over poor feeding, inadequate equipment, and basic supplies such as provision of drinking water.

-PREMIUM TIMES