By The Daily Reality
The Commanding Officer of the 133 Special Forces Battalion in Azare, Bauchi State, Lt. Col. A.K. Kachalla, has come under allegation from soldiers who accused him of protecting a lance corporal said to have absconded with funds belonging to colleagues and business partners.
The claims, raised by whistleblowers who spoke to SaharaReporters on Friday, revolve around 15NA/74/3376 L/Cpl Usman Umar Kao’oje, who is reported to be serving in the unit.
Sources alleged that the soldier was declared absent without leave around September 2025 after he allegedly disappeared with money contributed for business ventures.
One insider said: “He disappeared with between N40 million and N50 million meant for business deals. People trusted him with their money.”
The matter reportedly drew public attention after it appeared on SaharaReporters’ social media platforms on September 30, 2025.
According to insiders, L/Cpl Usman later returned to the unit after about three months. Upon his return, the commanding officer allegedly ordered that he be held in the guardroom pending an orderly room trial or further investigation.
However, sources claimed that while in detention, the soldier threatened to expose senior officers and institute legal action over alleged unpaid debts he said contributed to his financial troubles.
A source alleged: “When the CO (commanding officer) heard about the threat, he quickly ordered his release and assured him that nothing would happen to him. He said he would be protected.”
The soldier was said to have regained freedom after three days.
Another insider claimed that the commander later constituted a Board of Inquiry, which he alleged was meant to suppress the case.
He said: “He was charged and tried at the command level, but since then nothing has been done. A soldier who went AWOL for three months received no punishment. Instead, he was allowed to move freely in the barracks,”
Whistleblowers, according to a report by SaharaReporters, further alleged that the soldier was subsequently posted to Operation Whirl Stroke in Taraba State despite the unresolved accusations.
Sources also claimed that the lance corporal allegedly directed those demanding refunds to the commanding officer.
One source said: “The soldier wouldn’t have been so bold without the support of the CO,”
Insiders added that before he was declared AWOL, the soldier allegedly acted as an intermediary for the commanding officer. They claimed he collected “returns” from military checkpoints in Azare.
The whistleblowers further alleged that part of the disputed funds was used to acquire properties, including a heavy-duty truck reportedly valued at N24 million and deployed for transport business, alongside houses and other assets.
They questioned why due military procedures were not followed in handling the absence and financial allegations.
One whistleblower asked: “How can a soldier be away for three months and the AWOL not be forwarded to the Army authorities? Why was his account not blocked? Why was he not properly tried and punished?”
They argued that the handling of the case suggested complicity within the command structure.
Another source alleged: “This clearly shows that the CO supported the soldier to defraud his colleagues.”
The development, according to the whistleblowers, has angered many personnel within the battalion, who believe the situation has hurt morale and the reputation of the Nigerian Army.
A source said: “Nobody owns the Army. Neither the CO nor the soldier is above the law,”
They called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, alongside the Army Intelligence Corps and the Military Police Provost, to open an independent probe into the matter.
The source added: “The CO and the soldier should be investigated. This attitude is tarnishing the image of the Army,”
Efforts to obtain official responses were unsuccessful. Attempts to reach Lt. Col. Kachalla did not go through as his phone line was unavailable at the time of filing this report.
Similarly, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Onyinyechi Appolonia Anele, neither answered calls nor replied to a text message seeking comment as of press time.