The Nigerian Army has rejected a monetary donation of N2, 183, 555 by citizens to honour gallant Nigerian soldiers for killing a bandit kingpin, Halilu Sububu.
A London-based Nigerian lawyer and security analyst, Audu Bulama Bukarti has earlier announced in a Facebook post that they have raised the money to appreciate the effort of the soldiers and boost their morale in the fight against banditry.
Bukarti and his cohosts of Fashin Baki – a Hausa commentary programme he hosts on social media alongside Jaafar Jaafar, Abba Hikma and Nasir Zango – criticised 1-million-naira donation by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa.
WikkiTimes reports that troops of the Nigerian Army on 13th September, eliminated the terrorist kingpin and a good number of his fighters in Mayanchi village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara.
According to Bukarti, the Nigerian Army had earlier placed a bounty of 5 million naira on Sububu also known as Halilu Buzu and other bandit leaders. However, the CDS donation to the soldiers amounted to N38,000 for each soldier.
He said it is disheartening that the courageous troops were rewarded with such a meager amount, adding that most of them receive a monthly salary of just N50,000.
He also called on the Nigerian authorities to confer them with national honors and reward them handsomely.
“This doesn’t feel right. Those brave soldiers deserve better. They deserve our support. We are therefore, calling on the Nigerian Army to confer them with national honours and monetary gifts. This will encourage them to bring down more kingpins the likes of Bello Turji,” he wrote in Hausa.
Bukarti revealed that himself and his co-hosts on the programme had collectively raised a total of N1,800,000 while other Nigerians supported with the sum of N383, 555.
He, however, announced that the Nigerian Army decline to receive the funds and argued that they have their internal mechanism of honouring brave soldiers.
He said they were told that the CDS’s 1 million naira was at his personal capacity not from the institution.
According to Bukarti, the fund will be channeled to support victims of flood in Maiduguri. He called on the donors that would not want their contributions to be redirected to provide receipt for a refund.
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