The Nigerian Army has declared 104 soldiers attached to the 162 Amphibious Battalion in Borno State as deserters after they reportedly disappeared with their service rifles following a deadly terrorist attack on their base in early June.
According to an internal military document, the affected personnel allegedly abandoned their duty post along the Mandara–Buratai Road on June 5 after insurgents suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the military formation.
The army had earlier confirmed that the assault claimed the lives of five soldiers and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
The military document stated that the soldiers, led by Staff Sergeant Idris Mohammed, allegedly fled to unknown locations with their personal weapons after the attack.
It further noted that the personnel have failed to return to duty and have now been officially declared deserters in accordance with military regulations.
Security sources said military formations across the country have been directed to arrest any of the affected soldiers found within their areas of responsibility and hand them over to the appropriate authorities.
The sources also disclosed that the bank accounts of the 104 soldiers have been frozen pending their arrest.
The list of those declared deserters includes one staff sergeant, three sergeants, seven corporals, 38 lance corporals and 55 privates.
As of the time of reporting, the Nigerian Army had not issued an official public statement confirming the declaration. Efforts to obtain comments from the army spokesperson, Colonel Appolonia Anele, were unsuccessful.
The incident follows the terrorist attack on the battalion’s base, where insurgents reportedly exploited poor weather conditions and reduced visibility caused by heavy rainfall to launch the assault.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by suspected ISWAP fighters, who have continued to target military formations in parts of northeastern Nigeria.
Authorities are expected to continue efforts to locate the missing soldiers while investigations into the incident remain ongoing.
