The Nigerian Army dismissed a viral video on Monday alleging that troops deployed in the North-east had not been paid their allowances and that a soldier who raised the issue was being victimised.
Operation Hadin Kai spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, in a statement issued by the military, described the claims as false and misleading, confirming that all legitimate allowances had been paid to personnel up to May. Payments covered include the Ration Cash Allowance, Operational Allowance and Habit Allowance, with some funds transferred directly into the accounts of affected personnel.
Uba clarified that the payment at the centre of the controversy was not an operational allowance but an additional incentive linked to security duties at a critical national asset in Tuba, Borno State. The incentive had previously been funded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) during oil exploration activities in the area. Payments stopped after exploration operations ended.
The Borno State Government subsequently agreed to take over responsibility for the incentive and was working to absorb affected troops into an existing payment structure already covering police officers and volunteer security personnel in the area. Funds for the additional incentive were still pending at the time concerns were raised, but the General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Solomon Diwa, assured troops that discussions with relevant authorities were actively ongoing to facilitate payment once funds became available.
The Army firmly denied that the soldier who allegedly raised the issue faced any threat or punishment, insisting that the welfare and fair treatment of all personnel remained a priority. Operation Hadin Kai accused the creator of the viral video of deliberately spreading misleading content to damage the reputation of the Armed Forces.
The military warned that sharing unverified operational information on social media violates established military policy and risks eroding troop morale while threatening active national security operations. It added that steps were being implemented to address breaches of Armed Forces social media regulations, alongside continued efforts to ensure prompt disbursement of all approved entitlements.
