Some soldiers of the Nigerian Army at Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, have cried out over their poor living conditions at the military facility.
One of the soldiers, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Saturday, disclosed that they were being segregated against in the barracks while their counterparts in the Air Force and Navy in the cantonment were treated well.
According to him, soldiers in the barracks have been denied basic amenities especially water and electricity for a long time, thereby making their lives miserable.
He said while the naval and air force officials enjoyed constant electricity supply, soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the same barracks were only supplied electricity five hours a day and without adequate water supply.
He said, “Mogadishu Cantonment popularly known as Abacha Barracks is a tri-service barracks which serves the army, navy and air force but the place is controlled by the army.
“The army has been denying us of basic amenities we are supposed to enjoy as soldiers especially water and electricity.
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“We don’t use electricity up to five hours a day and sometimes, for whole one week, we don’t see power supply at all. But the most painful is that our mammy market uses PHCN electricity supply and they do have it regularly and it’s the same Mogadishu Barracks that supplies them light. Our sister service base (Airforce Base, Asokoro) uses electricity 24 hours a day and we keep wondering why the army authorities had refused to supply us power.
“It’s the same allocation the Federal Government gives army, navy and air force but navy and air force are taking care of their personnel while the army is denying us of our right because nobody can fight for us.
“Anytime they replace our barracks commander and the person tries to give us electricity, they change them.
“Nigerian Army is really punishing us and we need government to hear about this so.
“Our children are crying of heat every night, we can’t even get water.
“If the air force and navy can be having constant power supply in their base here in Abuja, then the army authorities must be questioned.”
