Army says 104 soldiers are missing after attack

The Nigerian Army has said that 104 soldiers from the 162 Amphibious Battalion on the Mandara, Buratai Road in Borno State are deserters. This follows their disappearance with their service rifles after a deadly attack on their base in early June.

On June 5, PREMIUM TIMES reported that attackers believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) struck the soldiers’ base overnight. Sources revealed that the terrorists took advantage of heavy rain and poor visibility to launch the attack, which resulted in some soldiers being killed.

The army confirmed the attack. They stated that five soldiers and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed during the assault.

Details of Missing Soldiers

An army document seen by SaharaReporters shows that the soldiers are said to have left their duty post on June 5, taking their personal weapons after the terror attack. The military signal, which a lieutenant named FI Ndubuisi signed, mentioned that Idris Mohammed, a staff sergeant, and 103 others “absconded from their place of deployment to an unknown destination” with their personal weapons.

The signal added, “In view of the foregoing, I am directed to respectfully affirm to you that said soldiers are yet to report back for duty and are hereby declared deserter(s).”

Military sources told Sahara Reporters that all military formations across the country have been informed to find and arrest the missing personnel. They also mentioned that the bank accounts of the 104 soldiers have been frozen until they are caught.

According to the document, the deserters include one staff sergeant, three sergeants, seven corporals, 38 lance corporals, and 55 privates.

As of now, the army has not made a public statement about the soldiers being declared deserters. Colonel Appolonia Anele, the army spokesperson, has not responded to calls and messages for comments on the issue.