$6.3M
UN PEACEKEEPERS ALLOWANCES THEFT IN NIGERIAN ARMY.
Even though their professional creed would not let
them speak out, a good number of Nigerian soldiers and officers are unhappy
with their superior officers, who they accuse of embezzling funds meant for the
welfare of the subordinates. For this reason they have quietly spoken out
accusing the Nigerian military authorities of embezzling about $6.28 million
(N2.318bn) paid by the United Nations Peace Keeping mission office as
allowances for about 600 Nigeria soldiers and officers, who took part in a
peace mission in Sudan between 2013 and 2015.
The soldiers in an anonymous letter to the Chief of
Defence Staff, Maj Gen Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff
Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, and the Nigerian Senate President, Dr Bukola
Saraki, and sighted by Ripples Nigeria gave details of the operation, the
amounts involved, and suspected culprits.
In the letter, they raised the alarm over the alleged
non-payment of their foreign operation allowances. This fraud was allegedly
“perpetrated by some generals of the Nigerian army against the Nigerian
battalion (NIBAT 43) who went for a United Nation’s Peace Keeping Mission in
the Darfur Region of Sudan in the year 2013 to 2015”. How the alleged fraud was
perpetrated
The Nigerian Battalion (NIBAT 43) comprising 800
Officers and soldiers, were supposed to have received the sum of $7,874 each,
which was said to have been paid by the United Nations to the Nigerian Army
authority to settle the battalion (NIBAT43) for their effort in securing a
location (EL-DEHIN CAMP) meant for a different battalion (PAKISTANI BATTLION)
for six months.
The protesting soldiers in their petition said, “The
operation was carried out at the instructions of the then Brig. General Ijioma
Nwokoro Ijeoma, the then Sector Commander in charge of Sector South in the
Nigerian camp (NYALA SUPER CAMP) in Sudan.
“The Nigerian contingents after completing the
rigorous task of securing the abandoned location in Sudan were entitled to be
paid $7,874 each. The location was originally meant to be mounted by the
Pakistani Army but for an unknown reason the Pakistani Army Authorities moved
their troops out of the said location, thereby increasing the volatility of the
aforementioned location.
“The need to secure the location was paramount, for
this reason, the United Nations high commission in Sudan, requested the
assistance of the Nigerian Battalion to cover the said location in addition to
their original location. The request was made in the last 7 months of induction
of the Nigerian Battalion (NIBAT43) in the mission. The Nigerian Battalion
accepted the additional task and secured the location at EL-DEHIN CAMP for six
months before they were de-inducted from the mission back to Nigeria.
“During the exit of the Nigerian Battalion from the
EL-DEHIN CAMP of the Pakistani Army, the Pakistani Army Authority in Sudan,
were invited by the United Nation’s high commission to sign the allowance
accrued for the work done in that location since it was originally meant to be
occupied by the Pakistani Army. But, the Pakistani Army Authority rejected
collecting the money for integrity sake and directed the UN High Commission to
pay the money to the Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT 43) for securing the location
on their behalf within the period.
“The Nigerian Army Authority was thus paid the money
for onward disbursement to the Nigerian Battalion. Each officer and soldier in
the Nigerian Battalion was meant to be paid $7,874. As announced by the UN High
Commission. But it is saddening to know that the aforementioned amount totaling
$6,299,200 dollars meant to be disbursed to the officers and soldiers of
Nigerian Battalion NIBATT 43 was corruptly pocketed by the Nigerian top
military officials in charge of Nigeria’s Peace Keeping Operations in Sudan
till date. As such, a single penny of that money was never paid to any
contingent member of the Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT 43).
“Since the de-induction of the battalion from the
mission in January 2015, the Nigerian army authority has consistently made
series of promises to pay the money to troops of the battalion without any
effort put in place for the payment for the past two years and four months now.
“The parties who pocketed this money know very well
that officers and soldiers cannot protest against this corrupt act, because of
the law guiding the military. This has given them the impetus to strangle grip
this money without fear of any criminal litigation against them. Since the
event of the payment made, the Nigerian army authorities are making it seem as
if the money has not been paid by the United Nations. But the fact remains
that; the UN has never owed any organization who has worked for the Commission.
This act by the Nigerian army is greatly tarnishing the good image of the UN as
it paints the UN as an organization incapable of meeting its financial
obligations to the UN forces.
“The following are names of top Nigerian military
officials who were in charge of the Nigerian Battalion in Sudan and the Chief
of Army Staff with whose consent the additional duty was carried out. It is
thus assumed, that the money was disbursed in the knowledge of the following
names;
• Retired Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma; former
Sector South Commander (the commander of the Nigerian battalion) in Sudan
• Brigadier General J.E Jakko Director of Army Finance
and Account.
• Major General Hassan Umar Director of Army Training
and Operations (DATOP)
• Lieutenant General Turkur Buratai the Chief of Army
Staff.
CONCERNS OVER OFFICIAL INTIMIDATION AND CALL FOR
JUSTICE.
“We urge the Nigerian authorities to investigate this
case and help us to recover this money either from whoever has pocketed it or
if it is only being held by the Nigerian Army Authority, the Chief of Army
Staff should tell the whole Nigerians why the army has refused paying money
disbursed by the UN to be paid to officers and soldiers of NIBAT 43 who were
strained for 6 months carrying out operation meant for two battalions. Because
of how rigorous the task of that particular mission was, one of our soldiers
lost his life in the course of the operation.
“The above mentioned authorities and every other human
right activist is our last resort, and we plead on them to come to our aid in
order for this money to be paid. We know very well that the Nigerian Army
Authorities would never pay this money if they are not persuaded or even
coerced. All our hope is therefore on the authorities to whom this open letter
is addressed to, and greatly plead with them to come to our aide with a view to
getting these monies from whoever is holding it because as far as we know, they
do not intend to release the money, otherwise, why have they not paid the money
for the past 3 years.
“They believe that since our officers and soldiers are
taken to the North East fighting Boko-Haram, there will be nobody around to ask
for the money and that is one of the reasons why they have pocketed the money”.
GETTING AT THE TRUTH
In efforts to get to the bottom of the matter, Ripples
Nigeria first paid a visit to the National Information Officer (NIO) of the
United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, at his office in
Ikoyi area of Lagos. He noted that the United Nations does not owe allowances
for Peace Keeping missions anywhere in the world, as same are promptly paid to the
appropriate authorities of the troops’ countries.
According to him, payment are not made directly to the
troops, but to military authorities in their respective countries, which is
subsequently responsible to pass same to the soldiers and officers. When
pressed further to ascertain whether or not the payment for Nigeria Battalion
43 was duly released, and if so, how much it was, Mr Soremekum offered that the
UNIC does not deal with issues related to Peace Keeping Missions.
He directed our correspondent to contact the
Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) for such information. However,
the DPKO was yet to respond to an e-mail enquiry on the matter as at the time
of this report. A similar e-mail to the Nigeria Army authorities also went
un-replied, as at the time of this report. Phone calls to the Director,
Nigerian Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman also went unanswered.
He later sent a message that our correspondent sends
an SMS. Well over 48 hours after the SMS was sent to him seeking clarification
on the alleged fraud, and injustice on the Nigerian soldiers and officers, he
was yet to respond. Meanwhile the affected soldiers and officers continue to
wait, hoping, and praying that their cries for justice will be heard, and that
they will be adequately compensated with their rightful dues for risking life
and limb for country.
It would be recalled that in January and March of
2015, 66 soldiers of the Nigerian Army were sentenced to death by firing squad
for mutiny, by separate Court Martials. The sentences were however commuted to
10 years in prison by Buratai who ordered a legal review of the cases.
