Several Nigerian Army personnel stationed at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger State, have accused their commanding officer of subjecting them to harsh living conditions, inadequate food, and irregular payment of allowances.

The trainers, who spoke exclusively to SaharaReporters under anonymity due to fear of reprisals, said they have been posted to NATRAC since February 17, 2025, to prepare new recruits for frontline deployment against Boko Haram in the North-East. Despite their critical role, they claim to be treated “like slaves.”

“We are Nigerian Army personnel attached to Kontagora. Our duty is to train new soldiers at NATRAC—soldiers who will be sent to the North-East to face Boko Haram. It is very painful that we, who are like teachers preparing others for the war front, are being deprived of our basic rights,” one trainer said.

The soldiers alleged that accommodation is substandard, with no mattresses or proper bedding, and that food is only provided when trainees are present—often of poor quality and barely edible.

“There is no accommodation for us. Where we sleep, there is no mattress. We sleep on bare bunks,” one trainer explained.
“The food they give us is very bad. I am sure even a pig would think twice before eating it, but we have no option.”

In addition to poor living conditions, the trainers claim that their ₦5,000 weekly instructors’ allowance is routinely withheld or delayed, sometimes for weeks or months. Payment is reportedly only made when trainees are present.

“The money is small, but not paying it when due makes it even worse,” another soldier said.
“We are not asking for luxury—just basic welfare and timely payment of our allowances, given the critical role we play.”

Repeated attempts to obtain comments from the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele, were not successful at the time of reporting.