Military authorities have confirmed that a Brigade Commander and some soldiers were selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram terrorists, says Lucky Irabor, Operation Lafiya Dole Theater Commander in the Northeast.

Irabor, a major general, said the accused is facing a secret trial in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state over what happened to 21 anti-aircraft guns assigned this year to his artillery brigade.

The admission comes three weeks after the Nigerian army said a military tribunal is trying 16 officers and troops accused of offences related to the fight against Terrorism and insurgency, including the theft and sale of ammunition suspected to Boko Haram.

Before Muhammadu Buhari took over power in May last year, Nigerian soldiers complained that they were forced into battle with Boko Haram with just 30 bullets each and no food rations.

They also claimed that the insurgents were better armed and equipped, and that their officers were stealing parts of their salaries and allowances.

Many Nigerian soldiers ran away when the extremists attacked, allowing Boko Haram to take control of a large swath of northeastern Nigeria in 2014.

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed corruption for the continuous rise in insurgency in the country and deaths of thousands in the seven-year Islamic uprising that has killed more than 20,000.

Children who escaped Boko Haram are dying of starvation and malnutrition in Internally Displaced Persons,IDPs camps spread across Northern Nigeria and in the northeast.

The government is also investigating the alleged diversion and theft of food aid meant for refugees.