Alleged Corruption in the Army

An anonymous but brave soldier from operation Lafiya Dole recently wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari. He claimed his letter was inspired by an online correspondence between Dr. Idris Ahmed of CUPS and Army spokesman, Brigadier General S.K. Usman, adding: “I have decided to take a major risk and write to your Excellency directly over this issue.”

After a subtle attempt to describe himself without directly mentioning his name, he pointedly told the president there was serious corruption in the army. He spoke about how they were poorly fed; how they got the most miserable treatment after any engagement with terrorist and how they were not paid their operation dues despite taking a risk for the nation and ready to pay the supreme price.

“Your Excellency, corruption in the Army is real, and it is killing us,” he said emphatically. Perhaps, the president too is not oblivious of this ugly fact. With the recent trial of some senior army officers over failed contracts, the president cannot allow this anonymous letter to go uninvestigated.

An urgent investigation into the allegations made by this soldier is even more important because they affect the president’s primary constituency – the military. The president should not allow this issue to be swept under the carpet because a lot is at stake for not only his anti-graft war, but also the unending war against insurgency. Alleged corruption in the army is real and the president must be interested.