EXPOSED: Nigerian Army Locked Up Soldier Who Exposed Colleague’s Link With Boko Haram
Pte Mohammed Idris of the Nigerian Army has been in detention for the past nine months without charge or trial, multiple sources aware of his detention said.
Idris, with military number 19NA/78/3048 is a medical personnel member attached to the 7 Division military hospital in Maiduguri, Borno state.
He was said to have exposed his colleague, one Corporal Agbo for having links with terrorist group, Boko Haram.
It was learnt that while Agbo, a military police corporal was assigned to stay with an arrested Boko Haram member in the hospital facility, he collected Idris’ phone and gave to the terrorist to contact his family and other terrorists.
However, one of the contacts the terrorist reached out to called back through Idris’ number days after to talk to him.
The soldier immediately raised an alarm about the call to the military authorities and narrated how Agbo deceived him to use his phone.
“The detained soldier was the medical personnel member on duty on that very day, so the corporal, a military police personnel member, was attached to a Boko Haram member in the hospital. He was to be by his side on his hospital bed. Both Idris and Agbo are regulars of the same intake, so they were known to each other,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters.
“On that fateful day, Agbo, the MP went to meet Idris and asked for his phone saying that he had an emergency call to make. That one didn’t hesitate to give him his handset, not knowing Agbo had another plan. He gave the phone to the Boko Haram terrorist he was assigned to be with at the hospital to call other (Boko Haram) members and family.”
It was gathered that both personnel were subsequently arrested and detained by the army authorities.
One of the sources said that Agbo confessed to have received an unspecific amount of money from the brother of the terrorist he was assigned to stay with it.
The source said, “During investigation, it was revealed that the military police personnel collaborated with the terrorists to communicate with his brother to send some amount of money to him. He also communicated with his other Boko Haram members.
“However, this detained medical personnel member wasn’t aware his colleague has any link with Boko Haram.”
Despite lacking substantial evidence against him, Idris was indefinitely detained nonetheless while Corporal Agbo, whose bank statement allegedly showed he received money from a relative of the terrorist, was released, the source said.
He was also re-absorbed into service.
“Sadly, the military police personnel who allowed the terrorist to make phone calls has been released. He was detained for three months while the other soldier who raised an alarm is still in detention. He was arrested few a days before 2024 Ramadan and has been in detention since then,” the source said.
“Those in charge have refused to give him a fair hearing and prevented him from seeing his family since.”
Another source added, “Mohammed Idris has been in military police cell for nine months now. The soldier was wrongfully detained and physically beaten by one Lieutenant Colonel to force him to accept an offence he did not commit and to change the first statement he submitted.
“The innocent soldier with number 19NA/78/3048 is serving in 7 Division Medical Centre, Maiduguri, Borno State. He has been in detention for nine months without trial or charges for disciplinary action because the innocent soldier refused to change his statement for an offence he did not commit.
“The MP Commander 7 Division and one military police sergeant wanted to force the innocent soldier to change the initial statement he wrote by himself, however, he refused. This prompted senior officer to transfer the innocent soldier to another detention facility called Annex along Pompomari in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“The Chief of Defense Staff, General SG Musa and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. O. O. Oluyede are requested to investigate the case to prevent what happened to that female soldier, Pte Ruth Ogunleye and Seaman Abbas.
“This soldier was detained for exposing a military police personnel member, however, the MP commander changed the case and accused him of what he knew nothing of. The prime suspect who collected his phone and gave it to the Boko Haram member while on hospital bed in 7 Division medical centre was released and now back to duty. But this innocent soldier remains in detention since.”
Cases of arbitrary detention of military personnel are escalating in Nigeria, with the attendant consequences of dampening the morale of foot soldiers; even as the country grapples with terrorism and other violent crimes.
On June 20, 2024, it was reported how an ex-military personnel, Lance Corporal Martins Idakpini in a petition, accused the military of acting illegally by detaining soldiers for up to five years or more without being court-martialled.
The newspaper also reported how Sergeant Zachariah Ismaila, with military number 04NA/55/1882, serving under Lieutenant Colonel I.A Manga in 29 battalion, Port Harcourt; was arrested on January 8, 2024, booked and put in a dungeon without being immediately informed of his alleged offence(s).
Attempts to reach the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7 Division, Brigadier General AGL Haruna on his mobile line, were unsuccessful, as the calls were neither answered nor returned.
