Why Southeast Youths Are Turning Away From Nigerian Army Despite Recruitment Push, Ex-Soldier Speaks
- The Nigerian Army has raised concerns over low Southeast turnout in the 91 Regular Recruits Intake ahead of the deadline
- Ex-soldier and Ohanaeze figures mentioned factors said to be influencing youths’ reluctance to enlist despite sensitisation
- Concerns were amplified as accounts linked declining interest to fear, discrimination, and long-standing regional grievances
The Nigerian Army has raised concern over the low turnout of youths from the Southeast in its 91 Regular Recruits Intake, ahead of the May 27 deadline, despite repeated sensitisation efforts.
Applications from the region remain low, with Anambra recording about 117 and Enugu around 100, compared to thousands from some other states like Kaduna, which reportedly recorded over 3,000.
Source: Getty Images
The Army has initiated town hall meetings with traditional leaders and state governments to encourage participation and debunk misconceptions, but the situation persisted.
Recently, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) raised concerns over what it described as eight “atrocity policies and conducts” by successive Nigerian governments since 2015, which it says have discouraged Southeast youths from joining the military.
The group argued that the alleged incidents have eroded trust in the armed forces and contributed to declining enlistment from the Southeast into the military, police, and intelligence services.
Intersociety attributed the trend to what it called “systematic structural, physical, and cultural violence” against people from the region since July 2015. It cited reports from human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, alleging cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances during military operations.
The organisation also said many families now discourage their children from joining security agencies due to fears of targeting, disappearance, or discrimination, while some officers from the region have reportedly resigned over security concerns.
It further listed issues such as alleged killings during counter-insurgency operations, internal insecurity faced by Southeast officers, and destruction of property during military actions. These, it said, have deepened mistrust between the region and security institutions.
Intersociety added that concerns over safety, deployment risks, and perceptions linked to groups like IPOB have also influenced low recruitment, with some youths viewing federal security agencies as unwelcoming.
Source: Getty Images
Ex-soldier details harsh military realities
An ex-serviceman from Anambra East local government area, Mr. Uwabunike Samson, also throws more light on the cause of the increasing problem.
Uwabunike, who spoke with Legit.ng correspondent on Friday, April 24, said that he resigned voluntarily and left the service after thirteen years.
According to him, out of the years he put into the service, he spent 10 years in parts of Borno, Taraba, and Yobe states, fighting insurgency.
"Throughout this period, I was permitted to meet my family very briefly for 2 times; yet, that dedication earned me no reasonable ranks," he lamented.
"During our operations, I found out that the ammunition used by the bandits is far more sophisticated than what Nigerian soldiers use. We were sent to fight bandits, but they would chase us with their sophisticated weapons as if we were the bandits - and they were the legitimate people fighting us."
"The worst that the authorities did was the integration of Boko Haram killers into the Nigerian army. They were called 'repentant,' but their roles were to sabotage soldiers - leading to failed operations, mass capture, injuries, and death."
"Each time we looked around and saw dead bodies of our brothers and friends from the southeast littered the ground, we, the remnants from the region, felt discouraged, because, once you're dead, you're dead - and nobody takes care of your wife and children."
"The majority of these soldiers from the southeast, posted to the war-torn region, out of fear, would drop their guns and run away. They would go out there and tell their Igbo brothers to go look for any other job, and leave military service for 'Nigerians' instead of being wasted."
Ohanaeze leader alleges Igbo marginalisation
Again, a former Vice President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Ichie Damian Okeke Ogene, said that a lot of things have happened that discouraged Igbo youths from joining the military.
Ogene, in an interview with Legit.ng on Thursday, April 23, said Igbo people are treated as if they do not belong to one Nigeria.
His words:
"They may be surprised that Igbo youths are no longer enrolling in the Nigerian Army. Is it not more surprising also that out of the entire service chiefs in Nigeria, they do not manage to put even one Igbo man there? When it comes to promotions and placement into juicy positions like service chiefs, they will look for their tribespeople."
"Is it in recruiting soldiers that they will send to the North East and Sambisa Forest that they will remember that Southeast is part of Nigeria?
"Igbo youths in the National Youth Service come out in their thousands, but will secure no job from the federal government. When it comes to juicy positions, the Nigerian government will not remember the southeast."
"It will take a long time to change this present trend, unless the Nigerian government decides to take action against marginalisation of the southeast."
Full Nigerian Army salary list for 2026 ranks
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Army salary structure for 2026 has been outlined, showing estimated monthly earnings across ranks from Private to Major General based on data from Statisense.
The breakdown indicates that entry-level Privates earn about ₦104,500 monthly, while mid-ranking officers such as Majors and Colonels earn between ₦380,500 and ₦580,500 depending on responsibilities and command level.
At the senior level, Brigadier Generals and Major Generals reportedly earn up to ₦1.15 million monthly,
Source: Legit.ng
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Mokwugo Solomon (Anambra State Correspondent) Anambra's regional correspondent Mokwugwo Solomon is an Editor, Investigative Journalist, and Media Consultant, with a wealth of experience spanning 17 years. He bagged his B/Ed degree in English Education from University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University. After 17 years in various areas of journalism, Mokwugwo Solomon is now the Correspondent of Legit.ng in Anambra State, Nigeria, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. Contact him at: mokwugwosolomon@gmail.com OR: +2348063831036.
