Fewer than 100 applications have been registered for the 200 recruitment slots allocated to Enugu State in the ongoing 2025 Nigerian Army Recruitment Exercise.
This contrasts with a state like Kaduna, which recorded over 3000 applications on Sunday.
The development is coming amidst cries of marginalization by the region in the appointment of the Service Chief by the Federal Government.
The Nigerian Army, as part of efforts to address this shortcoming, organized a town hall meeting in Enugu over the weekend to sensitize the population to the need to participate in the ongoing Army recruitment exercise.
At the meeting, Chima Ekeator, who led the 2025 army recruitment enlightenment team, said the Force is concerned over the low turnout of applicants from the south-east in the ongoing nationwide recruitment exercise.
Describing the situation as worrisome, Ekeator warned that the region risks losing its rightful opportunities.
Citing the poor Enugu figure, he pointed out that underrepresentation has become consistent across other south-eastern states.
“I want to urge youths in the south-east to seize the opportunity and apply in greater numbers to fill their quota.
“Each year, whenever a slot is being allocated to our people, we notice the number of applicants is usually very poor,” he said.
Addressing circulating claims that soldiers from the southeast are disproportionately deployed to high-risk areas, Ekeator dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
He reassured the public that south-easterners hold prominent positions in the Nigerian Army, citing Major General Chibueze Ogbuabor, a top commander in charge of equipment, as an example.
“These things are not true. We who are here have risen high in the Army, and we are telling you that they are lies,” Ekeator emphasized, urging the youth not to be discouraged by misinformation but to take advantage of the recruitment process.
