Demoralized, Terrified, Nigerian Soldiers Face Jihadists

They are the soldiers and militiamen posted on the frontline in northeast Nigeria, caught up in their country's battle against Boko Haram and Islamic State's local African branch known as ISWAP.

Hundreds of their colleagues have been killed over the past year -- 50 in June alone.

Here, in testimonies that they gave on condition of anonymity, they reveal their fears, failures and sense of abandonment in a neglected conflict.

- A military officer -

"Troops are demoralised. Our fighting spirit has been weakened and sometimes troops flee as soon as the terrorists launch an attack without putting any resistance.

"Soldiers are not given the right equipment to fight the terrorists. Of course, they are given new assault rifles but it takes more than a rifle to face and crush a well-armed terrorist group like ISWAP.

"Most of the heavy weapons including tanks and other artillery equipment we use are old and don't properly work.  They were only refurbished. They jam, fail or overheat when they are fired during encounters with the terrorists, when they attack military bases. This leaves our soldiers with no option but to abandon the bases and flee.

"The fleeing by soldiers emboldens the terrorists who interpret the withdrawal as sign of cowardice. This encourages them to escalate attacks, knowing they are not likely to face much resistance."

- A soldier in northeast -

"There is lack of coordination between ground troops and the air force. On many instances air support hardly comes when ground forces come under attack. This gives the terrorists who attack in huge numbers and firing heavy artillery on bases an advantage.

"As long as the war strategy doesn't change we are not likely to see any remarkable progress in this war against these enemies of humanity.

"Our strategy is largely defensive instead of combative. Soldiers are camped in bases fortified with trenches and mines. They hardly take the fight to the terrorists but only wait for the terrorists attack for them to try to repel them.

"We have lost a lot of lethal military equipment to these terrorists which they use to fight us.

"Soldiers work on superior orders. Troops can only leave their bases and launch operations on orders. We can't leave the base without an order."

- Another soldier -

"Soldiers are in some cases reluctant to put in their best in battle against Boko Haram terrorists for fear of being killed or wounded. They have seen how their injured colleagues have been neglected and how the families of their fallen comrades have been abandoned and their benefits not paid. This discourages some of us from fighting like soldiers because they don't want to end up like their unlucky colleagues. 

"Our superiors don't care about our welfare and we are usually owed allowances. 

"A lot of us are war-weary. We have been in the war zone for too long and are fatigued. We have lost the zeal to fight. This is the truth." 

- Militiaman in Lake Chad area -

"ISWAP has not been defeated but pushed out and forced to retreat into Lake Chad islands. None of their core leaders has been arrested and none of their bases has been captured. ISWAP is in total control of Lake Chad and not an inch is in Nigerian control. All the claims of success against the terrorists are not correct.

"Their main camp in Duguri where their leader is based is intact. Their camps in Marte, Kukawa and Ngala (districts) where their major commanders live have not been destroyed. They think they are stronger than the army and are not thinking of a truce or surrender. 

"They increased their attacks on soldiers since the Chadian forces deployed in the Nigerian side of Lake Chad. I think it is in response to presence of the Chadian troops who are determined to fight them. The attacks are likely preemptive.

"As for (Boko Haram's) Shekau faction, they have indeed been weakened. Shekau is also battling with diabetes-related health challenges.

"The (Nigerian) air force has lately sustained air raids on Sambisa forest where Shekau faction is based. The Konduga attack was like retaliation for the air campaign. It was a desperate attempt to hit back for their losses in the aerial attacks."