The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has condemned the viral verbal attack on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by individuals claiming to be officers of the Nigerian Army for arresting a soldier for driving against traffic.
Speaking at the opening of the Dragon Officers Mess in Abakpa Cantonment, Enugu State, on Tuesday, Lagbaja noted that only one of those claiming to be soldiers in viral videos on social media was a personnel of the Nigerian Army.
The COAS said, “The soldier that was apprehended while plying on a one-way does not represent the Nigerian Army because in every respect it contravenes what we stand for which is discipline as an army, and it contravenes the constitution and the laws of Lagos and so we frown at that as the army.
“But for what you alleged that soldiers have gone to social media casting aspersion on the person and the office of the Governor of Lagos State, I will say it is only one soldier that has done that.
“The army has investigated and that soldier has been apprehended, and we are investigating. For every other comical act that you have seen on social media, they are not personnel of the Nigerian Army.
“From the mode of dressing of some of them, you will know that they are not personnel of the Nigerian Army. One of them was wearing the cap badge upside down, and you will know that that is not a personnel of the Nigerian Army. An officer can never do that.
“From the utterances that these people made, you will know the angle they were talking from. They were talking politics not army.
“For the ones that pertain to the army, we are investigating, and it will be treated accordingly. We are serious about upholding laws and rules, and we will enforce that on our personnel.”
Recall Tribune Online reports that Governor Sanwo-Olu, last Tuesday, ordered the arrest of some motorcyclists, including a lance corporal, for riding in the wrong direction along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Following this, some yet-to-be-identified er soldiers slammed the Lagos State Governor for ordering the arrest of their colleague, and faulted him for calling the soldier “useless” in the presence of others. (Tribune)