By Chimezie Godfrey
The military authorities under Operation HADIN KAI have dismissed allegations in a viral video claiming that soldiers fighting insurgency in the North-East were owed allowances and that a soldier was punished for complaining.
The Theatre Command described the claims as false, misleading and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Armed Forces.
In a statement, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North East), Lt. Col. Sani Uba, clarified that all legitimate allowances due to troops had been fully paid up to May 2026.
“The money referenced in the video is not operational allowance,” the statement noted.
The Command explained that troops had already received their Ration Cash Allowance, Operational Allowance and Habit Allowance through the approved payment channels.
According to the military, the issue raised in the video related to an additional incentive for troops securing a critical national asset in Tuba.
It stated that the incentive was previously funded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation before the organisation halted exploration activities in the area.
The statement added that the Borno State Government had since taken over the arrangement and was working to integrate troops into an existing payment plan already covering the Police and Volunteer Forces.
The military said the funds for the supplementary incentive were still pending when the complaint was raised.
It added that the General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brig. Gen. Solomon Diwa, had assured troops during an operational visit that he would liaise with relevant authorities to facilitate payment once funds were available.
The Command also denied reports that the soldier involved in the complaint was victimised.
“The allegation that the soldier was intimidated or punished is entirely unfounded,” the statement added.
It further claimed that preliminary findings showed that the video was created by a “mischievous content creator” using information from disgruntled individuals.
The military warned that dissemination of misleading operational information contravened the Armed Forces social media policy and could undermine national security efforts.
Operation HADIN KAI urged the public and media organisations to avoid circulating unverified reports, while reaffirming its commitment to professionalism and troop welfare in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign.
Army Debunks Viral Allowance Claim, Says Troops Paid Up To Date
