Some junior personnel of the Nigerian Army have once more urged President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries.

They said that the Nigerian government and army officials had reduced those of them in the lower cadre to poverty by failing to increase their salary for many years—some of them for as long as 12 years.

The soldiers stated that they had to sell their cars, televisions, homes, and other possessions in order to cover their basic living expenses.

They demanded President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries and form a committee to look into events in the military, especially those involving and affecting the rank and file.

“We the other ranks in the Army are suffering with this current inflation in Nigeria. Sir, we now find it difficult to pay our children’s school fees,” a soldier told newsmen.

“There is serious hunger all over army barracks. As I’m writing this, our soldiers now sell their housing properties before the end of each month, televisions, fridges or any item that can bring little amount of money to buy foodstuffs.

“Some even sold their cars, this life is not easy for us soldiers at all, we are all in debt, because our salaries are not enough to pay children school fees, let alone feeding the families.”

This is coming a few weeks after a soldier, Sergeant Ismaila Ukwuhcodu, wrote a letter to the President over

The sergeant had noted that to meet financial needs, soldiers now got “involved in illegal duties, sabotage, arms and ammunition deal, armed robbery and kidnapping” while calling on the President to attend to their plight.

“As a trustee of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, I humbly wish to address this letter to you who called us to serve the nation. The Nigeria Army (NA) is the land component of the Armed Forces created to defend and maintain its territorial integrity from external aggression and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon by Mr President. ”