Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
MAIDUGURI — Military commanders have been forced to issue an extraordinary denial after a social media video alleged that soldiers fighting Boko Haram and ISWAP in north-east Nigeria have gone unpaid — claims the army has branded “false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to discredit the command structure.”
The footage, which has circulated widely on digital platforms, purported to show a serving soldier complaining about non-payment of allowances and subsequent victimisation.
But Operation HADIN KAI’s Theatre Command insists the money in question is not operational allowance, and that all legitimate entitlements have been paid up to date as of May 2026.
In a lengthy statement released on Saturday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba confirmed that Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) for centralised feeding, standard Operational Allowance, and Habit Allowance — all paid directly into individual accounts — are fully cleared.
The row instead centres on a separate, non-statutory “incentive” paid to troops guarding a critical national asset in Tuba.
According to the military, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) initially funded the top-up, but ceased payments when exploration activities stopped.
The Borno State Government then stepped in, and efforts are under way to include soldiers in the same payment plan already covering police and volunteer forces.
At the time the soldier raised his concern, funds for this additional allowance were still pending.
Brigadier General Solomon Diwa, General Officer Commanding 7 Division, reportedly assured personnel during an operational visit that he would liaise with authorities to secure payment once money was released.
Crucially, the army denies any intimidation or punishment of the soldier.
Preliminary investigations, it said, suggest the video was not even produced by the serviceman, but by a “mischievous content creator” who relied on information from a handful of disgruntled individuals.
“The Theatre Command regards this act as unpatriotic and a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Armed Forces,” the statement read.
Officials have warned that circulating such material breaches the Nigerian Armed Forces’ social media policy, which strictly governs personnel use of digital platforms on operational matters.
Measures are in place to address any violations in line with regulations.
Military high command has also instituted “robust mechanisms” to ensure prompt payment of all legitimate entitlements, including closer collaboration with stakeholders to improve funding timelines for supplementary allowances.
The public and media have been urged not to share unverified information on sensitive military operations, with commanders warning that such actions risk undermining troop morale and jeopardising national security.
“Operation HADIN KAI remains unwavering in its mandate to restore peace, security and economic stability in the north-east region,” Colonel Uba added, “while consistently upholding the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and accountability.”
For now, the incident serves as a rare public airing of tensions over pay — swiftly denied — and a reminder of the military’s zero-tolerance stance on what it calls malign information. Whether the promised additional payments materialise, and whether the soldier involved faces any internal action, remains unclear.
