MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: The theatre commander of Nigeria’s Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, denied social media claims regarding poor troop feeding during a media engagement on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Okay News reports that Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar stated the welfare of soldiers is monitored under a structured accountability system led by food committees comprising mostly non-commissioned officers. He said the online claims do not reflect the reality of the provisions allocated by the government for troop sustenance.
“The responsibility of the commander is to provide the resources as given by the government to ensure meals,” he said. He said that soldiers actively participate in the system, noting that they know the menu of what they want to eat and routinely review meal quality.
Addressing specific online videos, he said troops receive full meal packages including protein and beverages. “For someone to have been given his meal with soft drinks, he consumed the soft drinks, took out the protein of the food, took out half of your meal, and now made a video. That was a mischief,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar said isolated lapses are not tolerated under the leadership of Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Waidi Shaibu. “There are instances where commanders have been found wanting, and they know the stance of the chief of army staff. Where that happens, you lose your command,” he said.
The military introduced reforms to improve troop welfare, including increasing allowances from N20,000 (13 USD) to N50,000 (33 USD) for personnel ranging from privates to warrant officers. Additional measures include prioritized foreign training and sustained welfare flight operations to ease troop rotation. Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar cited Biu Local Government Area of Borno as a location where troops actively manage food committees and ensure a steady supply of rations.
