The military source told the magazine that even the General Officer Commanding, GOC, who escaped death, never visited the war front, and even President Goodluck Jonathan did not visit Chibok or other parts of the North-East. That, in his words, was unlike President Barack Obama of the U.S. and George Bush, Obama’s immediate predecessor in office who, many times, visited Iraq and Afghanistan and other trouble spots.

The witness made another revelation that showed that all is not well. He said that the normal Nigerian Army fighting ratio is enemy one, Army three. However, what actually happened on ground at the time of combat reversed that ratio, when his men were beaten back by Boko Haram insurgents that were greater in number. Worse still, on 4 August, Boko Haram so overwhelmed the Nigerian soldiers that they lost one vehicle, one Grenade Machine Gun, GMG; one machine gun, and four AK-47 rifles.

Opurum further admitted that in July this year, Boko Haram, who had superior strength, defeated Nigerian soldiers. Implicit in that admission is that Nigerian soldiers are poorly armed. At a point, there was a kind of hide and seek game between the Defence counsel and Opurum over the condition of his men when he took over in July. However, when pinned to a corner with a question that did all the soldiers under him (including those being charged for mutiny or refusal to fight) ask for equipment, Opurum said generally that all units in the North-East asked for equipment.

This shows that soldiers in the North-East are poorly armed. Pressed further to tell the court about the number of weapons issued to soldiers, Opurum first said there were no records but as the cross-examination went on, he said there were records.

The cross-examination veered back to what Opurum said in the open court the previous day about whether or not the 47 soldiers that deserted actually came back to participate in combat. The witness reiterated that they came on their own to join in the next operation to recapture Delwa, Bla Bling and Damboa.

Moreover, Opurum made another revelation in that secret trial about “mind pollution” among the rank and file when he took over. But he was quick to point out that the expression was not his but headquarter 17’s prescription for desertion. Implied in that phrase is how morale has gone down in in the Army. This, according to another military source, has to do with the disposition of the Nigerian government to the soldiers when they are alive and their family members after their (soldiers’) death. A soldier told TheNEWS that families of dead soldiers are not even informed that their son is dead!

There was another revelation about two of the accused persons who were seated in the court: Sudan Ananias and Private Douglas, who were being charged for mutiny. The second witness, Captain Saleh, admitted that he was the one that permitted them to go to town to collect something they wanted at about 17.00 hours.

However, Saleh left with the other soldiers before the return of Ananias and Douglas. Yet the two are being charged with mutiny, a military source lamented.

Saleh revealed further how the commanding officer, Opurum (Saleh is the second in command or 21c) and he were abused thoroughly by the soldiers. They did that without hearing what the commanding officer wanted to say. The duo had to leave with their vehicles as most of the drivers even refused to drive, Saleh told the court.

He gave a vivid account of how he and his men were attacked by Boko Haram members (who operated for 25 minutes) and they had to withdraw because of their (weak) strength, compared to the insurgents’. This implies lack of adequate weapons.

Saleh revealed further how his C.O. could not communicate with him on the field because the radio had limitations. Still, a question of equipment!

Then the third prosecution witness, Corporal Francis Okoro, stepped in to answer questions. He was enlisted in 1994 into the corps of Military Police. He was part of the six-man team that investigated the soldiers on trial.

He admitted that in the course of their investigation, the soldiers complained that they were not given support weapons except what he called Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPG, APC and General Purpose Machine Gun, GPMG. Even he said that on 12 August when he visited the army base before they moved, he did not see support weapons.

As an investigating military police officer, Okoro said that in the course of his work, he spoke with Opurum, the C.O., who revealed to him that the soldiers being accused of mutiny complained of sickness and lack of equipment.