2014 Mutiny: Why we refused to fight Boko Haram with AK-47s -Ex-soldier

Ex-soldier Endurance Kulukulu has recounted harrowing experiences during the fight against Boko Haram, highlighting the dire conditions faced by Nigerian soldiers.

He alleged that despite being deployed to some of the most dangerous areas, including Damboa, Gwoza, and Gamboru, they were poorly equipped and relied primarily on AK-47 rifles, lacking essential military hardware such as Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs).

Kulukulu’s testimony sheds light on the challenges that led to the mutiny by 70 Nigerian soldiers in 2014. They refused to obey orders to continue to fight Boko Haram.

He revealed that many soldiers, overwhelmed by inadequate equipment and heavy casualties—including the loss of 21 men in an ambush—refused to continue fighting under such conditions. The story underscores their plea for justice, rehabilitation, and recognition following their eventual pardon.

He said in an interview with Arise TV, “We went to Damboa, Gwoza, Pika, Atagara, Gava One, Gava Two, all those places we worked around. We went to Gamboru, Gala, Maiduguri, close to Chibok. We were dealing with them, but not on equipment. They did not give us what we needed to fight.

So what we used was only AK-47s. What we needed before was APCs [Armored Personnel Carriers]. I’m alive today; I’m even thanking God. We entered an ambush. We lost about 21 men. Twenty by nineteen is what we lost that day. So we said, ‘They should give us weapons to fight those deadly sects.’ They refused to give us. So we said, ‘Except they give us that thing, we cannot go and commit suicide.”