According to some Nigerian soldiers, hardship and a poor economy have driven them to support the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest. Military personnel involved in the counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast revealed their struggles with financial difficulties, stating that they are equally affected by the current economic situation.
The nationwide protest, set to take place from August 1 to 10, has gained the backing of these soldiers. They disclosed to SaharaReporters that both the current government of Bola Tinubu and previous administrations have impoverished lower-ranked military personnel. As a result, soldiers have had to sell their cars, televisions, and housing properties to meet basic financial needs.
“We soldiers here in Borno are in full support of this protest due to the hardship in the country. Prices of everything have skyrocketed, and our salaries can no longer sustain us. We need urgent intervention, or things will spiral out of control. Many soldiers can no longer afford their children’s NECO and WAEC fees, let alone university or higher education costs,” one soldier shared with SaharaReporters.
The soldier added, “There’s hunger in all army barracks right now. Soldiers are selling their property just to survive until the end of the month, and this has been happening since January 2024. We need palliatives in the barracks as well. The general public should help us, and it’s the right time for wealthy individuals to support us soldiers. All Nigerians should know there is hunger in the barracks; we are human beings like everyone else. Our salaries and allowances are too poor. We support this peaceful protest starting on August 1, 2024. The current situation in the country is very unfortunate and worrisome.”
Another soldier added, “About 97% of soldiers support this protest due to poor salaries and allowances. Only the corrupt Generals and commanders are against it. We junior soldiers are also victims of bad government and cannot feed our families because our salaries don’t last a week. Nigerians should come out and protest; it’s their right. The suffering is enough and no longer acceptable.”
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