Media reports from Nigeria's military department says that some officers are selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram. The military department indicate that all effort to fight the Islamic extremists continues to halt to ground because some military officers continues to these Islamic extremists known as Boko Haram.
Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, the theatre commander in the northeastern part of Nigeria, told reporters on Thursday that military authorities have confirmed that some military officers were selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram. Gen. Irabor called a betrayal of the Nigerian people.
Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people in seven years. Children who flee Boko Haram to live in refugee camps in the northeast Nigeria are dying of hunger and starvation. Food aid to the refugee camp by government and some other organisation are been stolen by some people. Government says that they are still investigating the alleged theft of food aid.
A soldier on the front line of the fight told The Associated Press that his brigade commander is among officers standing trial at the court-martial in this northeastern city, which is being held in secret. He said the army is investigating what happened to 21 anti-aircraft guns assigned this year to his artillery brigade. He said they only received one gun. The soldier spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared he would lose his job.
In addition, multitude of retired and current military officers are being investigated for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars budgeted to help curb the Islamic uprising. Among them is Alex Badeh, a four-star general whom Buhari fired from his post as chief of defense staff. Witnesses have told a Federal High Court that Badeh stole the equivalent of $24 million budgeted for salaries in 2013 and built a shopping mall in Abuja, the capital.
Civil society groups are demanding the investigation of the current chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, for allegedly buying with cash two properties worth $1.5 million in Dubai. Buratai has said he bought the property on instalment with savings.
Before Buhari took power, soldiers told the AP they were forced into battle with just 30 bullets each and no food rations. They said Boko Haram was better armed and that their officers were stealing parts of their salaries and allowances. Many ran away when the extremists attacked, allowing Boko Haram to take control of a large swath of northeastern Nigeria in 2014.
A former military dictator, a multinational force has retaken most towns but Boko Haram remains active outside urban areas, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, suicide bombings and abductions of women and girls.
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