Army Dismisses Soldier Over Viral Poor Feeding Claim in North East

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Headquarters Theatre Command, Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI has dismissed and disciplined a personnel over a viral social media post alleging poor feeding of troops in the Theatre of Operation.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Army said the action followed an internal investigation which established that the post was misleading and did not reflect the actual feeding arrangements for soldiers deployed in the North East.

The Theatre Command said the viral image being circulated online, which showed a partially consumed meal, was deliberately shared to create a false impression about troop welfare.

According to the statement, the investigation revealed that the image did not represent the complete ration issued to the personnel at the time, adding that the claim was inconsistent with established feeding procedures in the Theatre.

“For the avoidance of doubt, troops deployed across all formations and locations under Operation HADIN KAI are provided with rations strictly in accordance with approved military feeding scales,” the statement said.

It explained that the feeding system within the Theatre is structured and supervised through established Food Committees comprising personnel across different ranks and presided over by senior non-commissioned officers to ensure transparency in meal planning and distribution.

The Army added that welfare provisions are consistently implemented and, where operational conditions permit, are further enhanced during festive periods such as Sallah and Easter celebrations to boost morale.

Following the outcome of the review, the personnel involved was subjected to disciplinary action in line with the provisions of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Theatre Command stressed that the sanction was necessary to uphold discipline, maintain operational integrity, and discourage the spread of misinformation within the ranks.

It also cautioned personnel against circulating unverified or misleading content on social media, noting that such actions could undermine unit cohesion and the effectiveness of ongoing military operations.

The statement urged troops to make use of established internal grievance channels for addressing welfare concerns rather than resorting to public platforms that distort operational realities.

Members of the public were also advised to disregard unverified reports circulating online, with the Army warning that misinformation could be exploited to undermine national security efforts in the region.

Reaffirming its mandate, Operation HADIN KAI said it remains fully committed to restoring lasting peace, security, and stability in the North East, while prioritising troop welfare, discipline, and operational effectiveness.