The Nigerian Army has dismissed a viral video alleging that troops deployed in the North-east had not been paid their allowances and that a soldier who raised concerns over the issue was being victimised.
In a statement issued by Operation Hadin Kai spokesperson Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the military described the claims in the video as false and misleading, insisting that all legitimate allowances due to personnel had been paid up to May. According to the statement, troops have continued to receive payments including the Ration Cash Allowance, Operational Allowance and Habit Allowance, with some of the funds paid directly into the accounts of personnel.
Uba clarified that the payment referenced in the viral video was not an operational allowance but an additional incentive tied to security duties at a critical national asset in Tuba, Borno State. He explained that the incentive was previously funded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation during oil exploration activities in the area. However, the payments reportedly stopped after exploration operations ended.
According to the Army, the Borno State Government later agreed to take over responsibility for the incentive and was working to integrate affected troops into an existing payment structure already covering police officers and volunteer security personnel.
Uba said funds for the additional incentive were still pending at the time concerns were raised, adding that the General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Solomon Diwa, had assured troops that discussions with relevant authorities were ongoing to facilitate payment once funds became available.
The military also denied claims that the soldier who allegedly raised the issue had been threatened or punished, maintaining that the welfare and fair treatment of personnel remained a priority. Operation Hadin Kai further accused the creator of the viral video of spreading misleading information aimed at damaging the reputation of the Armed Forces.
The Army warned that sharing unverified operational information on social media violates military policy and could negatively affect troop morale and national security operations. It added that measures were being implemented to address breaches of the Armed Forces’ social media regulations while continuing efforts to ensure prompt payment of approved entitlements through collaboration with relevant authorities.