Following the raging insurgency in the northeast, the Nigerian Army has recalled a large number of its personnel studying in civil institutions (universities and polytechnics) across the country to fight insurgents.
This was contained in a leaked memo by the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training, Abuja.
In the memo dated May 11, the Nigerian Army also suspended the sponsorship of personnel in civil institutions with the exemption of students in the final year.
This is happening as the army continues to suffer heavy casualties in its counter-insurgency operations that have seen hundreds of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists also neutralised by gallant Nigerian troops.
In one of the recent attacks, more than 30 soldiers were reportedly killed in April when Islamic State-aligned fighters ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in Mainok, Borno State.
A month earlier, about 30 soldiers were reportedly killed in four attacks by Islamist militants in the North-East.
On April 1, 2021, five soldiers and two villagers were killed in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. About 10 soldiers were also killed in the Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State on April 9.
On April 26, wherein 40 persons were killed in Anambra, Imo, Kebbi and Rivers states, two soldiers and three policemen were among the casualties.
Sometime in March, 57 Boko Haram fighters were reportedly killed by soldiers in the Damboa and Gwoza local government areas of Borno State.
Most recently, at least nine Boko Haram militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Borno State on Tuesday, Yerima said in a statement, adding that troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed the terrorists as they attempted to attack the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Tuesday.
Yerima said the militants tried to advance from the Aldawari axis to attack soft targets in Jiddari Polo but were repelled by the combined troops of the army, police, vigilantes, and hunters.
In February, Yerima disclosed that troops cleared Marte, Borno State, and its surrounding areas of terrorists who had laid siege to the region for some days.
Yerima said the troops, backed by air cover of the Nigerian Air Force, successfully recovered the town in less than 48 hours.
Following the shortage of personnel to fight rising insurgency across the country, Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Nigerian Army had recalled all its personnel studying at various civil institutions except those in the final year.
It is however unclear whether the recalled personnel will be deployed for administrative purpose or combat operations in the war front.
