A detachment of Nigerian troops held protests on Sunday, firing into the air at an airport in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, to object their redeployment to the frontline of the conflict against Islamist militants.
Local media in the country reported that the soldiers refused to board a plane that was meant to transfer them from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, to the town of Marte, close to the border with Niger.
The reports indicate that the soldiers were shooting for around four hours to show their disapproval of the redeployment.
“We are angry and that is why we are shooting. Why are they taking us again to another place after spending about four years?” said a soldier, adding that they had previously been told they would only fight insurgents for a maximum of three years.
The military had not commented on the matter by the time of publication of this article.
Henrietta Yakubu, a spokeswoman for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said she was told the protest had ended. “The situation has normalised.”
She confirmed that the airport had not been forced to shut down due to the gunshots.
