It was a pitiable sight as around 250 dismissed soldiers stormed the NUJ office in Kaduna begging for the president to have mercy on them and reinstate them.
Nigerian soldiers (Photo: File)
The 250 soldiers who were dismissed from Nigerian Army School of Infantry for lateness to training parade, have pleaded with the army authorities and President Muhammed Buhari to reinstate them back into the Army, PMnews reports.
The affected soldiers made their wishes know after they stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Secretariat in Kaduna Tuesday. The dismissed soldiers pledged their readiness to confront Boko Harm insurgents in the North-East if reinstated.
One of the soldiers who spoke under anonymity, said they were among the 3,000 soldiers that were dismissed by the Nigerian Army last year for various offences in the North-east while fighting the insurgents.
According to him, coming to the NUJ Secretariat was to let the public, especially President Muhammadu Buhari and military authorities, to come to their rescue.
“We are young and ready to serve our country, we are ready to serve NA. We have family to cater for. We want to be pardoned.
“Let them hear, let them hear that after we were brought back from the North-east, we have received three months intensive training and for us to now be dismissed because we came late at the last parade, it sounds somehow.”
Another dismissed soldier in a chat with journalists said, “I have spent over 20 years in the Army. I have also served in the North-east before we were brought back to Jaji and now you are asking us to go when we have dependants to cater for.”