B/Haram: ‘We’re Sent To Slaughter As Though Our Lives Don’t Matter,’ Survivor Soldier Narrates Incident

A soldier who survived the deadly attack on a military base in Borno State, on Monday, have narrated how no fewer than 70 soldiers were killed in the attack.

The soldier, who spoke to Premium Times only on the condition of anonymity, said the soldiers suffered a heavy casualty “because the Boko Haram fighters had more armament advantage” than them.

He said he made it to Maiduguri on foot after escaping the heated battle, adding that when they attempted to return to the battlefield to evacuate the bodies of the fallen heroes, they were again attacked by the insurgents.

The soldier lamented that the soldiers are being “slaughtered” as though their lives don’t matter, adding that most soldiers have lost the “spirit of launching attacks because of lack of resources to prosecute the battle.”

He said, “The attack came at about 6 pm on Monday evening. When the soldier on top of the observation post alerted that a large number of Boko Haram fighters were advancing, we all got alarmed as we took cover and waited within the base in Metele.

“The fight did not last for more than 45 minutes, but it was bloody because the Boko Haram fighters had more armament advantage than the soldiers.

“When we realised the fight would be against us, we decided to retreat from the camp, but it was rather too late. The camp was surrounded with barbed wire, and the enemy fire was coming from the direction of the entrance. We were like surrounded.

“One of the drivers of the gun trucks decided to push through the barbed wire so that other vehicles could follow and escape, but the truck got stuck, that was how many of our soldiers in other vehicles and those on foot were massacred.

“Those that managed to escape with injuries made it on foot through Cross-Kauwa to Monguno where they boarded commercial vehicles, some even sat in the booth of the Golf cars to get to Maiduguri.

“The Boko Haram made away with about seven gun trucks of the Nigeria army.

“Up till Wednesday the evacuation of the corpses have not been completed, to the best of my knowledge.

“We need the world to hear how we are being sent to slaughter as though our lives don’t matter,” he said.

“Some few weeks ago, about 75 of us from our own unit here in Maiduguri were deployed to the front line and it took the grace of God for about 40 of us to return alive.

“When we returned and lodged our complaint, we were asked to go back again to Metele, an area near Kangarwa forest, and we have been there for about three weeks now fighting a defensive battle.

“We beg the Nigerian media to help us by echoing out our muffled voices. The children of poor Nigerians have been turned into chicken meant for easy sacrifices by our commanders.

“We are being killed on a daily basis as if our lives don’t matter. Of course as soldiers we signed to lay down our lives in defence of this country, but certainly not in the manner we are being presented for slaughter without dignity. A soldier should die fighting and not being chased or overpowered.

“Our morale has been dampened so badly – not only because we are not given our due allowances; but for the fact that we have been outgunned by the Boko Haram.

“The situation has gone so bad that it has gotten to a stage that soldiers would be rushing to pack up their camps and flee upon hearing the news that Boko Haram fighters are advancing.

“We have suddenly lost our spirit of launching attacks because of lack of resources to prosecute the battle. Many of us are ready to do our best, but there has been no requisite support from those sending us out there.

“As I am talking to you now, we have about 70 corpses of soldiers littering the battleground in Metele and when we went to evacuate them on Monday, the Boko Haram gunmen came out in large numbers from all angles – so we had to abandon the corpses after just picking five of them. We left most of the corpses there as I am talking to you now.”