The Nigerian Army has sanctioned a soldier deployed under Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East for allegedly spreading misleading information about the quality of food provided to troops on the frontlines.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said an internal investigation found that the viral social media post did not accurately reflect the welfare conditions of soldiers in the theatre of operations.
According to Uba, the image shared by the soldier was a “selective representation” that failed to show the full ration issued at the time. He maintained that troops are fed according to approved standards, with additional provisions made during festive periods such as Sallah and Easter to boost morale.
“The Theatre Command wishes to categorically state that the images and narratives being circulated are misleading and do not reflect actual feeding arrangements or welfare standards,” the statement read.
The Army further explained that feeding arrangements are supervised through structured internal mechanisms, including Food Committees made up of personnel across ranks and overseen by senior non-commissioned officers to ensure transparency and accountability.
Following the probe, the soldier was disciplined in line with the Armed Forces Act (Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004). Uba said the sanctions were necessary to maintain discipline and protect the integrity of the Armed Forces.
He added that despite logistical and environmental challenges in the North-East, efforts are consistently made to ensure troops are adequately catered for. Soldiers were also encouraged to use internal channels to address grievances rather than sharing information publicly.
However, the Army dismissed such reports as exaggerated, urging the public to disregard them and describing them as attempts by individuals seeking attention or financial gain.
