Army denies targeting Igbos in troop deployments as it decries low enlistment from south-east

The Nigerian Army has expressed concern over the low participation of south-east youths in its ongoing recruitment exercise, warning that the region risks losing out on its rightful representation within the military.

Speaking during a town hall meeting in Enugu, Chima Ekeator, leader of the 2025 army recruitment enlightenment team, said the south-east was gradually being underrepresented due to poor application rates.

“Our people are losing what rightly belongs to them. Each year, whenever a slot is being allocated to our people, we keep noticing that the number of applicants from our side is usually very poor,” Ekeator said.

He cited Enugu State as an example, stating that although the state had about 200 recruitment slots this year, fewer than 100 applications were received.

“Take, for example, Enugu State was given about 200 slots, but the people who made it were never up to 100 due to poor application. This has also become a recurring decimal in other states in the south-east.”

Ekeator urged youths in the region to take advantage of the recruitment window and fill their quotas, pointing out that other states were recording significantly higher interest. He revealed that Kaduna State had already received over 3,000 applications.

“Today’s statistics on the number of applicants show that Kaduna has about 3,000 applicants, while Enugu is still battling with about a hundred; and by the time we will be through with screening, you will not have enough to recruit from the state,” he said.

He also dismissed widespread rumours suggesting that Igbo recruits were deliberately sent to dangerous battlefronts, resulting in higher casualties among them. According to him, these claims are unfounded.

“There are a lot of falsehoods out there stating that the Igbo are being killed because they are the first to be sent to the battlefield. These things are not true. After all, we that are here have risen high in the Army, and we are telling you that they are lies.”

Ekeator highlighted that individuals from the south-east hold key positions in the Nigerian Army. “Today in the Nigerian Army, our brother is one of the top commanders in charge of equipment. His name is Chibueze Ogbuabor,” he said.