Boko Haram: Army wants ATM for front line troops 

The Nigerian Army has called on commercial banks to deploy Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to the military barracks in Maiduguri for the use of front line soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation in Borno.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Brig-Gen. Victor Ezugwu made the call while speaking at a Civil-Military Forum organised by the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri.
Ezugwu was reacting to criticisms by residents that soldiers often refused to join queues at the ATM points in the town.
He said the army had written several letters to the banks for the deployment of ATM machines to the barracks without much success.
“We have been battling with lack of ATM in the barracks for the use of soldiers in the front line zone.
“I wrote letters to the banks over seven months ago for them to deploy the ATM at the Maimalari Cantonment for soldiers’ use, but there is no response yet,” he said.
Ezugwu said the military was concerned about the development and urged the residents to intervene.
“I urge everybody here, especially traditional rulers, to help put pressure on the banks so they can give us ATM at the barracks and allow you to use the ones in town.
“We are aware of the fact that everybody needs the ATM at one point or another,” he said.
“ A soldier carrying 12 ATM cards at a time must have brought his colleagues’ cards from the front line to take money and send to their families all over Nigeria.
“We have areas where there are no network, it is only through the ATM that the soldiers can send money home to their families’ he said.
Ezugwu appealed for more understanding from the residents pending when the ATM would be provided by the banks at the barracks.