Security operatives involved in the Exercise Swift Response along Nigerian borders are currently groaning over unpaid salaries of seven months, and unpaid hotel bills of over four months.
The Exercise Swift Response, being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, was launched in August 2019 when Nigerian borders were closed by President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly against smuggling and for national security.
However, it was gathered that the Exercise Swift Response would end its operation on the 30th of December 2020, and this has been a huge concern for all security officers as they have yet to receive salaries for a long time.
The security officers include those of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Immigration Service, Customs Service, and others.
While lamenting over the situation, one of the officers told SaharaReporters that they had yet to receive their salaries for the past seven months and also had unpaid hotel bills of over four months.
They said despite the fact that their allowances were not being paid, the NSA kept introducing new security measures to be implemented routinely.
A Superintendent of Customs, Salisu Adam, who spoke with SaharaReporters said they were under surveillance by hoteliers in the border communities so that we would not run away without paying their hotel bills which has not been paid for over four months.
He said, “Currently they owe us seven months’ allowance and we are afraid that when the operation ends on the 30th of December 2020, they might likely not pay us again. Also, we are currently under surveillance by owners of hotels in the border communities so that we don’t go with their hotel bills which have not been paid for over four months.
“The fact is that we are all seriously grumbling and bitter about the situation in which we have all found ourselves. So far, they have kept telling us that the office of the NSA has yet to release funds for payment while some of our sources say the National Security Adviser has released funds to all security agencies involved.
“We want the higher authority to be aware of our plight and come to our rescue. The joint operations include Customs, Military, Police, DSS, and Immigrations and they owe us allowance for seven months.”
