- Nigerian Army instructors at NATRAC in Kontagora have claimed that welfare conditions are poor and despite training soldiers deployed to the North East, their living conditions are poor and the instructors’ allowance of £5,000 is not being paid regularly.
Some Nigerian Army personnel attached to the Nigerian Army Training Center (NATRAC), Kontagora, Niger State, have expressed concern over their poor welfare and alleged inhumane treatment at the hands of their commanders.
Soldiers claimed their living conditions were poor, including a lack of proper accommodation, inadequate food and regular withholding of their £5,000-a-week instructor allowance.
The nine instructors, who spoke anonymously, said they had been sent to the northeast since February 2025 to train new recruits for counter-insurgency operations.
Despite their important role, they claim they sleep on bare bunks without mattresses, receive poor quality food only when cadets are in the camp, and have frequent delays in the payment of stipends.
The soldiers emphasized that what they asked for was not luxury, but basic benefits and timely payment of allowances to effectively perform their duties.
In other news… Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has shared insights into her personal life, education and career, giving fans a rare perspective beyond the headlines and controversies.
The mother-of-one has revealed that she is a trained petrochemical engineer, surprising many who know her mainly for her acting and public life. She studied petrochemical engineering at Rivers State University (formerly Rivers State University of Science and Technology).
Tonto explained that although this fact has been part of her biography for many years, it has received little attention as most attention has been focused on her entertainment career.
She also reflected on her brief foray into politics, recalling her 2022 experience as deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Rivers State to contest the 2023 elections with Tonte Ibraye. Although their votes were not won, her political involvement attracted widespread attention.
The actress emphasized that she had only acted for a short period and did not consider herself an actress. She believes that despite her short time in the film industry, her strong character made her unforgettable.
Tonto wrote:
“Do you all know that I am a Pet/Chemical Engineer by profession? Former deputy governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2023? I only acted for 4 years but Coconut Head made me memorable in the grand scheme of things. I only acted for 4 years. I am not an actor.”
