Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, a rights group in Delta State, has raised the alarm that many soldiers of southern origin, who have served over four years fighting Boko Haram in the North-East, were at the brink of losing their families.
National President of the group, Austin Ozobo, in a letter to the Chief of the Army Staff, Turku Buatai, alleged that authorities at their respective units in Lagos and Ogun states have refused to redeploy them against service regulations.
The situation, he said, was already leading the soldiers’ wives to resort to extra-marital affairs.
He said, “Affected soldiers are at the verge of losing their homes and families, as their wives have resorted to extra marital affairs and eventually divorce.
“Their children have dropped out of school as their mothers can no longer provide for them.
“Their children have dropped out of school as their mothers can no longer provide for them.
“As rights and pressure group, our attention has been drawn to the unsavoury treatment meted to these southern army officers deployed to North-East to prosecute the war against Boko Haram.
“We, therefore, call the COAS to expedite action by launching investigation into the issues raised in a view of doing the needful as regards withdrawing the affected soldiers from the North-East back to their original barracks to reunite with their families.”
