Ex-Soldier Alleges Army General Jamilu Sarham Fired Him Over Questions On Boko Haram Massacre

A former Nigerian soldier has alleged that he was dismissed from the Army after nearly 20 years of service, simply for raising a question during a post-attack briefing.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Lucky Udu, the ex-soldier said his dismissal in December 2015 followed a deadly Boko Haram ambush in Baga, Borno State, where he claimed at least 117 of his colleagues were killed.

“I am not a wounded soldier. I am a dismissed soldier,” he emphasized.

The former serviceman, who served with the 118 Task Force Battalion, recalled that surviving troops were regrouped in Gubio after the attack, where a brigade commander addressed them.

“After his address, he asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand, and some other soldiers did the same,” he said.

What seemed like a routine interaction, however, turned into a life-altering moment.

“He asked me to step forward. As I did, expecting to ask my question, I was immediately disarmed and taken to Maimalari Cantonment, where I was chained and handcuffed,” he recounted.

He added that he spent 10 days in detention before being informed that he had been charged with disobedience.

“I asked, ‘You were there when the commander asked if there were questions… but I was singled out.’ She told me there was nothing she could do,” he recalled.

Mass Dismissals After Baga Attack

He alleged that over 300 soldiers from the 118 and 157 Task Force Battalions were dismissed under orders from a senior officer, whom he identified as General Jamilu Sarham.

“If you need the names, I can provide them,” he said.

The former soldier joined the Army in 2003 at age 18 and took part in multiple operations across Nigeria and abroad, including in Darfur and Operation Pulo Shield.

He described the scale of losses suffered during counter-insurgency missions.

“Our battalion, 118 Task Force Battalion, spent just two days in the field, and on the third day at Tere Tere in Maimalari, we encountered Boko Haram and lost about 115 soldiers. At Gajibo, we lost 75, and at Tunkushe, over 300 soldiers,” he recounted.

He said hope briefly returned when the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, showed interest in addressing their situation.

“When he came in, he compiled our names and asked us to report at Jaji by Monday. Unfortunately, he died on Friday on his way to the Army Depot for a parade,” he said.

Since then, he said, no meaningful intervention has been made.

Nearly a decade after his dismissal, he revealed that he receives no salary or benefits, surviving only on occasional donations from friends and family.

“Sometimes friends call and give me ₦5,000. That’s it,” he said.

He also disclosed that his three children are no longer in school, while his wife hawks goods to support the family.

“My wife hawks… Sometimes, through friends or siblings, they send ₦10,000 so she can buy things like tomatoes and beverages to sell. As for me, I don’t have a home. I just move wherever I can to make a living,” he added.

The former soldier admitted to suffering emotionally and psychologically from the trauma of war and his dismissal.

“Sometimes I feel as if I might go mad, because I remember the series of attacks we faced,” he said.

Despite these hardships, his passion for the Army remains strong.

“The Army has always been my passion… If they cannot take me back, I’m ready for anything related to security,” he stated.

He further revealed that he completed his university education after his dismissal.

“I’m a graduate of political science… Security is my core competence. I can work effectively as a Chief Security Officer in any company,” he said.