Boko Haram: Nigeria Reportedly Pays Chadian & Niger Soldiers N146M Monthly

A new report reveals that Nigeria is bearing the financial burden of the operations by multinational forces against Boko Haram insurgents. The troops from Nigeria’s neighbours – Chad and Niger – it was learnt in Abuja, receive N146.25 million monthly as pocket and feeding allowances from the Federal Government. The sum is however different from that paid by Nigeria for fuelling of the operational vehicles of the foreign troops and other logistics, which the source did not state.

A breakdown of the N146.2m shows that the 2,500 troops contributed by Chad receive N112.5m monthly while the 750 soldiers from Niger get N33.75m. Thus each of the soldiers from the two countries gets N45,000 monthly as pocket and feeding allowances, the same amounts paid their Nigerian counterparts.

It was further gathered that the two Francophone countries, are in addition to the allowances paid by Nigeria,  making demands for funding by the international community.

A source, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not permitted to speak on the issue, said,

“Although, it is a joint operation, a kind of sub-regional collaborative effort, Nigeria is the only country funding the operations. The arrangement is not such that each participating country funds its defence forces deployed for the operation. 

“Nigeria is funding the operation to the extent of providing the allowances for all the Chadian and Nigerien troops involved. Apart from that, the country is also providing for the feeding of these troops and fuelling all their operational vehicles.”

It was further gathered that in spite of the sacrifices being made by the Federal Government, the joint operation is being threatened by mutual suspicion.

Source: Punch