Abuja — Troops serving with the 90 Amphibious Battalion in Koko, Warri (Delta State) have publicly accused their Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. M.M. Garba, of diverting allowances meant for them, poor welfare conditions, and mismanagement of deployment funds.
According to several soldiers speaking anonymously, oil companies such as Chevron, Seplat, Pan Ocean, Sharon Tank Farm, Optimal Tank Farm, and Presco pay between ₦350,000 and ₦400,000 per soldier monthly for security duties. But the troops claim that only ₦40,000 of that amount actually reaches each of them.
They say the food provisions are woefully inadequate: while some units supply proper meals, others issue raw food items — but even those don’t last a week. Several soldiers lament, “We work like elephants and eat like ants … many of us are struggling to survive.
The troops also allege that their duty rotations have been extended beyond agreed lengths: what was supposed to be a three-month deployment now stretches to seven or eight months, putting them under undue strain.
In response, the soldiers are calling for:
- Full payment of all owed allowances, including the ₦350k–₦400k from oil companies.
- A rightful ₦90,000 monthly feeding allowance to make up for the substandard meals.
- An investigation into Lt. Col. Garba’s conduct and his removal from command.
They have appealed to top military leadership — notably Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede and Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu — to intervene promptly.