Nigerian military contingent on United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in Sudan has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, threatening to take laws into their hands if their accumulated allowances were not paid them.

The troops also accused the Nigerian Army hierarchy of denying them what is due for them despite hardship and medical challenges they are facing in Sudan.

According to a letter addressed to President Buhari, the troops threatened that they would take laws into their hands should the president fail to come to their rescue.

The letter read: “We are officers and soldiers of Nigerian Battalion 45 (NIBATT 45 UNAMID) deployed on January 5, 2016 on a peacekeeping mission in Sudan. Since our deployment, life had been so difficult for us. Even to communicate with our families has been a problem due to lack of finances.

“The army has refused to pay us our allowances of $100 monthly since the beginning of the mission here in Sudan and this is the seventh months without payment. Many of our soldiers undergo surgical operation due to poor feeding, no drug for us whenever we are sick. The only remedy for us when we are sick is to be referred to Pakistan hospital due to lack of drugs in Nigerian Contingent Level 1 Hospital.

“We have been in this Mission in Sudan for seven months now yet our domiciliary account in Union Bank of Nigeria has only been credited with two months and 27 days salaries out of the seven months so far.

“We ask Mr President to look into this issue to make his anti-corruption campaign in the armed force a success. If nothing is done very soon, we will be force to take the law into our hands.

Responding, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, admitted that the troops had not been paid their allowances but stated that it was due to the bilateral issues Nigeria was having with the host country, Sudan.

Acting director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in a telephone interview with Nigerian Pilot, however, assured the troops that nobody would tamper with their allowances.

General Abubakar said, “Their allowances are intact. However, there are hiccups regarding bilateral agreement with the host country. The money is there but it cannot be transmitted to the troops but I can assure you that the money is intact. The current military administration is aware of the hiccups and it is working towards resolving it so that the troops can access their money.

“There are administrative bottle necks with the host country that requires bilateral collaboration and very soon the matter will be resolved, but the money is there and nobody will tamper with it. I am assuring our troops over there that it is the matter of time, they will get their money,” General Abubakar assured.

•Photo shows President Buhari.

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