The Nigerian Army has taken disciplinary action against a soldier deployed under Operation Hadin Kai after he shared a viral social media post that authorities say misrepresented the feeding conditions of troops in the North-East.
The development was confirmed in an official statement released on Saturday by Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East.
He explained that the Army’s response followed an internal review initiated after the post gained traction online.
According to Uba, the Army carefully analyzed both the content of the message and the accompanying image shared by the soldier.
The findings, he said, revealed that the post did not present the full picture of the ration issued at the time, leading to what authorities consider a misleading narrative.
He further stated that the Theatre Command carried out a comprehensive internal assessment and ultimately rejected the claims circulating on social media.
The command maintained that the allegations do not accurately reflect the feeding arrangements or welfare standards currently in place for troops operating in the region.
Providing further clarification, Uba noted that personnel under Operation Hadin Kai receive meals in line with approved military standards. He added that welfare provisions are not only consistently maintained but are sometimes enhanced during major festive periods such as Sallah and Easter, with the aim of boosting morale among troops in active service.
The Army spokesperson also shed light on the system used to manage feeding logistics. According to him, structured oversight mechanisms are in place, including food committees composed of personnel from different ranks and supervised by senior non-commissioned officers.
These committees are responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in the planning, preparation, and distribution of meals, all within the limits of available resources.
Following the investigation, the soldier involved was found guilty of misconduct. Uba described the act as a deliberate distortion of facts, emphasizing that the image circulated did not accurately represent the full ration provided at the time.
As a result, disciplinary measures were applied in line with the provisions of the Armed Forces Act. The Army noted that enforcing such measures is essential to maintaining discipline and preserving institutional integrity.
Reaffirming its commitment, the Army stated that troop welfare remains a central priority, even amid the operational and logistical challenges associated with ongoing military activities in the North-East.
Uba concluded by advising personnel to make use of established internal channels when raising concerns, rather than turning to social media in ways that could misrepresent operational realities or undermine morale and cohesion within the ranks.
