BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA-Sequel to several complaints by Nigerians of extortion by soldiers manning check points across the country, authorities of the Nigerian Army have set machinery in motion to arrest culprits as well as bribe givers.

Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has directed that any officer or soldier arrested in the act should be charged to a military court martial.

He also ordered that the giver of the bribe should be arrested for ridiculing the army and charged to a civil court.

Vanguard gathered that the tough stance by the army authorities followed embarrassing intelligence reports which showed that many personnel deployed to internal security operations had converted their security duties to money-making ventures, contrary to their operational orders.

Ihejirika said: “The non-challant attitude of some junior commanders towards their operational responsibilities has created opportunities for some soldiers to engage in criminal activities while on security duties”,he said.

He added that it was in recognition of this unacceptable behavior amongst their personnel and the urgent need to bring it to a stop that the Chief of Army Staff agreed that they should conduct an appraisal of their performance in internal security operations, with a view to improve the current standard.

Vanguard gathered that the decision to checkmate the rising spate of extortion by soldiers at checkpoints was taken at the Chief of Army Staff’s third quarterly conference which held recently in Abuja.

At the conference, it was further gathered that the matter was a prime topic for deliberation because it had smeared the image of the Army, which had witnessed a positive bounce back for its role in the sustenance of democracy since the advent of civil rule..

Consequently, officers of the military intelligence (DMI) and Provost Martial office have been directed to commence discreet monitoring of the activities of the soldiers, particularly at the checkpoints and they will do this under pretence of being motorist or civilians to catch the soldiers unawares.

The source pointed out that the army was so serious about the offence that “soldiers who skip searching of some vehicles, particularly those of wealthy persons for bribes of between N500 to N2, 000, because they don’t want their cars to be searched, both the giver and soldier will be arrested.

“In the event of anyone being caught, the soldier will be charged according to military laws, while the giver will be charged to civil court to be prosecuted by military lawyers.”

Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that the soldiers at check points may have resorted to such extortion because the N500 ration cash allowance (RCA) daily was inadequate for them.