Defence Headquarters Responds To SaharaReporters’ Report By Paying Bonuses To Soldiers In Gambia and Guinea-Bissau For ECOWAS Duties

Defence Headquarters Responds To SaharaReporters’ Report By Paying Bonuses To Soldiers In Gambia And Guinea-Bissau For ECOWAS Duties....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Sources within the Nigerian military have informed SaharaReporters that the Defence Headquarters initiated the payment of outstanding bonuses on Wednesday for soldiers deployed to Guinea-Bissau and Gambia as part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mission in 2023…….CONTINUE READING 

This development follows reports by SaharaReporters revealing that some soldiers were owed significant bonuses of N9.2 million (approximately $5,700) each from the Army authorities. The soldiers were part of the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission, tasked with restoring peace and stability in these West African nations. Specifically, 177 personnel were deployed to Guinea-Bissau, while over 100 were sent to Gambia in June 2023. The mission is essential for regional stability, making the delay in bonus payments concerning.

Alongside Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana also contributed troops to the ECOWAS mission, with each soldier entitled to a $950 monthly bonus from ECOWAS. According to reports, some Nigerian soldiers involved in the mission have begun receiving alerts confirming the crediting of their bonuses.

Military sources indicated that soldiers who had not received any payments previously, as well as those who had only been paid for three months, have now received payments for six months and three months, respectively. Consequently, all soldiers remain owed six months’ worth of bonuses.

One source explained, “When we were deployed to Gambia and Guinea-Bissau for the ECOWAS mission, we were initially paid for three months out of the twelve. After returning to Nigeria, they started paying another three months, bringing the total to six months. However, not all of us have received these payments yet.”

Another source added, “Those who were owed nine months before have received three months, leaving everyone with a balance of six months still pending. Ideally, we should have been paid in a single installment rather than this staggered approach.