20.1.2026
Army instructors at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Kontagora, Niger State, have cried out for justice as they accused their commanding officer of starving them and denying them sleep.
Some of the soldiers who spoke to journalists said they been at the centre since February 2025, to train for counter insurgency operations, but life has been difficult.
“We are Nigerian Army personnel attached to Kontagora. Our duty is to train new soldiers at NATRAC. These are soldiers that will be sent to the North-East to face Boko Haram,” one of the trainers told SaharaReporters.
“It is very painful that we, who are like teachers preparing others for the war front, are being deprived of our basic rights.”
They claimed they sleep in extremely poor conditions without mattresses or adequate bedding.
“There is no accommodation for us. Where we are managing to sleep, there is no mattress. We sleep on bare bunks,” another soldier said.
The trainers further alleged that food is only provided when trainees are in camp, adding that even then, the meals are of poor quality.
“Our commander only provides food when trainees are in camp. And the food they give us is very bad. I am sure even a pig will think twice before eating it, but we have no option,” one of them lamented.
Beyond poor living conditions, the soldiers accused the commander of routinely withholding their ₦5,000 instructors’ allowance, which they said is meant to be paid weekly.
According to them, the allowance is only paid when trainees are present in the camp and is often delayed for weeks or even months.
The soldiers stressed that they were not demanding luxury, but basic welfare and prompt payment of allowances, especially given the sensitive and demanding nature of their assignment.
They noted that their role in preparing soldiers for counter-insurgency operations makes their welfare crucial to national security.