Questions about the integrity of the 90 Amphibious Battalion resurfaced this week after social media posts accused its leadership of corruption and internal division. The Nigerian Army, however, declared that none of these claims reflect reality, stressing that the battalion in Koko, Delta State, continues to operate professionally.
According to the 6 Division, the circulating publication was nothing more than an effort to smear the image of the command. Lt Col Danjuma Danjuma, who speaks for the Division, explained that the accusations lacked evidence and were crafted to provoke distrust among troops and the public.
Days before the Army’s response, anonymous soldiers had alleged that allowances supposedly paid by companies like Chevron and Seplat were being under-remitted by the battalion’s Commanding Officer, Lt Col M.M. Garba. The troops claimed the companies pay between ₦350,000 and ₦400,000 per soldier monthly, but only a fraction reportedly gets to them.
Another strand of complaints touched on welfare. Some soldiers claimed that food supplies barely lasted a week, forcing personnel to rely heavily on their salaries to feed themselves. One anonymous voice, seeking sympathy from the public, compared their experience to “labouring like elephants but feeding like ants.”
Concerns about extended duty rotations also formed part of the allegations. Certain soldiers insisted that deployments sometimes stretched to seven or eight months instead of the usual three, and accused the command of favouring Muslim personnel during assignments—an accusation the Army later dismissed as an attempt to incite religious sentiment.
The Division maintained that postings in the Nigerian Army follow established procedures and do not consider religion, alliances, or personal loyalties. It stressed that any attempt to portray the battalion as operating on discriminatory grounds was entirely misleading.
Even with its firm rejection of the allegations, the Army stated that wrongdoing would never be ignored. Officials reiterated the institution’s zero tolerance for misconduct, corruption, or welfare mismanagement at any level, promising that verifiable complaints would be examined properly.
The Division also reminded all personnel that formal channels exist for reporting grievances. According to the statement, bypassing these channels and turning to unverified online platforms serves only to damage the image of the Army rather than resolve genuine concerns.
In the end, the military urged the public to disregard the social media claims, saying that Lt Col Garba has continued to carry out his duties within available resources. The 6 Division reaffirmed its commitment to the peace and security of the Niger Delta region and assured residents that it remains alert and dependable.
