Nine Nigerian Army personnel attached to the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger State, have accused their commanding officer of subjecting them to poor living conditions, starvation, and withholding their ₦5,000 instructors’ allowance.
The soldiers, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, said they have been stationed at NATRAC since February 17, 2025, tasked with training newly recruited soldiers for deployment to the North-East, where Boko Haram insurgents remain active.
According to the trainers, despite being responsible for preparing hundreds of recruits for frontline combat, they are treated “like slaves” by their superiors.
“We are Nigerian Army personnel attached to Kontagora. Our duty is to train new soldiers at NATRAC. These are soldiers that will be sent to the North-East to face Boko Haram,” one trainer said. “It is very painful that we, who are like teachers preparing others for the war front, are being deprived of our basic rights.”
The soldiers alleged that accommodation and meals are not consistently provided. They claim to sleep on bare bunks without mattresses or proper bedding, and that food is supplied only when trainees are present—and even then, it is reportedly of poor quality.
“Our commander only provides food when trainees are in camp. And the food they give us is very bad. I am sure even a pig would refuse it, but we have no choice,” one trainer said.
The personnel also accused the commanding officer of routinely withholding the ₦5,000 weekly instructors’ allowance. According to the soldiers, payments are often delayed for weeks or months, and are only made when trainees are present.
“The allowance is small, but withholding it makes it worse. Sometimes it takes up to a month before receiving a payment,” a source said.
The trainers emphasized that they are not seeking luxury, only basic welfare and timely payment of allowances, given the crucial role they play in preparing soldiers for counter-insurgency operations.
Repeated calls and messages to the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele, seeking comments on the allegations were not returned at the time of reporting.
