‘We’re Treated Like Slaves’: Nigerian Army Trainers At NATRAC Kontagora Allege Starvation, Poor Living Conditions, Withheld Allowances

Nigerian Army Trainers Allege Inhumane Conditions, Withheld Allowances at Kontagora Facility

January 20, 2026

Several Nigerian Army personnel attached to the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger State, have accused their commanding officer of subjecting them to inhumane living conditions, inadequate feeding and the persistent withholding of their instructors’ allowances.

The soldiers, who spoke exclusively to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said they have been stationed at the training centre since February 17, 2025. Their assignment, they said, is to train newly recruited soldiers who are later deployed to Nigeria’s conflict-ridden North-East to combat Boko Haram insurgents.

According to the trainers, they are nine in number and are currently responsible for preparing hundreds of recruits for frontline combat. Despite the importance of their role, they said they are being treated “like slaves” by their superiors.

“We are Nigerian Army personnel attached to Kontagora. Our duty is to train new soldiers at NATRAC. These are soldiers that will be sent to the North-East to face Boko Haram,” one of the trainers said.

“It is very painful that we, who are like teachers preparing others for the war front, are being deprived of our basic rights.”

The soldiers alleged that there is no regular provision for accommodation or feeding, despite their long-term posting to the facility. They said they are forced to sleep in deplorable conditions, without mattresses or proper bedding.

“There is no accommodation for us. Where we are managing to sleep, there is no mattress. We sleep on bare bunks,” another soldier said.

They also claimed that food is only provided when trainees are present at the camp, and even then, the quality is poor and unfit for consumption.

“Our commander only provides food when trainees are in camp. And the food they give us is very bad. We have no option but to eat it,” one of the trainers alleged.

Beyond welfare concerns, the soldiers accused the commander of routinely withholding their ₦5,000 instructors’ allowance, which they said is meant to be paid weekly.

According to them, the allowance is only disbursed when trainees are in camp, and payments are often delayed for weeks or even months.

“The only allowance we receive is ₦5,000, tagged as instructors’ allowance. It is supposed to be paid weekly, but our commander always withholds it,” a source said.

“Sometimes it takes up to a month before you receive even one payment. The money is small, but not paying it when due makes the situation worse.”

The soldiers stressed that they are not demanding special privileges, but basic welfare support and the timely payment of allowances, particularly given their role in preparing troops for counter-insurgency operations.

“It is only when trainees are around that they give us ₦5,000 weekly. Once there are no trainees, we get nothing,” another trainer said.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to the army’s spokesperson, Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele, were not answered as of the time this report was filed.