Blockades by soldiers are currently in place outside the Murray Barracks in Port Moresby, as serving members demand accountability over alleged corruption in the 01/26 Basic Recruit intake.
The soldiers are calling for the defence hierarchy to respond immediately to their grievances. Tensions remain high as the standoff continues.
The blockades come after a wave of discharges targeting senior officers who raised concerns about recruitment irregularities. Those discharged include Lt. Col. Joe Teriken, PNGDF Chief of Training, Chief Warrant Officer Benson Eremas, and another Chief Warrant Officer allegedly targeted over a social media post. All three have over 35 years of service, including Bougainville tours, and say they were removed without investigation, charges, or adherence to the Compulsory Retirement process.
Another (4) four soldiers from Records Office of the PNGDF in charge of enlistment who were not directly involved in the recruitment have been charged and will face court Marshall at 10am tomorrow (15th April 2026).
Soldiers’ demands
Soldiers manning the blockades have issued four demands:
- Dissolve the defence council
- Remove Chief of Personnel Colonel Rodney Yahamani. Appoint a new Chief of Personnel to reinstate the discharged soldiers.
- Remove all charges against the four soldiers who were in the video uploaded recently discharged and ensure no court action is taken against the officers.
- Demand an independent investigation.
How the crisis unfolded
The saga was triggered after the public filmed recruits performing a “duck walk” march outside Goldie River Training Depot at 1-Mile. A subsequent video posted to Facebook showed recruits being questioned about enlistment despite exceeding age limits.
As the blockades continue, the scandal casts a long shadow over national security and regional stability.
The roadblock will continue tomorrow if their demands are not met.
The University of Papua New Guinea students have pledged their support to join the protest.
The grievances were raised to Commanding Officer of Force Support Battalion Major Ashley Gamiandu.