- Says soldier’s action does not represent the Nigerian Army
The chief of army staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, says the soldier who was seen in a viral video criticising Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has been arrested.
Lagbaja spoke on Tuesday after the commissioning of an officers’ mess in Enugu state.
Last Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu ordered the arrest of a soldier alongside some motorcyclists for riding against traffic.
The governor was on his way to the Ojo campus of the Lagos State University (LASU), for the inauguration of the Femi Gbajabiamila Conference Centre, when the incident occurred.
While being arrested and taken away by security operatives, one of the offenders claimed to be a soldier.
“I am a soldier Oga sir,” said the motorcyclist.
“That’s the more reason I’m going to lock you up. You are telling me you are a soldier. That’s even the more reason I’m going to lock you up,” the governor replied.
Recall that some days after the incident, an unknown soldier, in a viral video, berated Sanwo-Olu for ordering the arrest of his colleague and calling him “useless” in front of civilians.
In the video, the soldier said officers are not under the control of any state governor but take orders from their commandants.
The video elicited reactions on social media as some Nigerians criticised the soldier for calling out the governor over the arrest of his colleague.
Reacting to the incident, Lagbaja said the action of the soldier who violated traffic law in Lagos, did not represent the values of the Nigerian Army.
The army chief also disclosed that the army has arrested the soldier who was seen in the viral video criticising Sanwo-Olu over the traffic incident.
“I want to say that the soldier that was apprehended by the governor of Lagos state while plying on a one-way, does not represent the Nigerian Army,” Lagbaja said.
“In every respect, he contravened what we stand for, which is discipline. He also contravened the constitution and the law of Lagos state. We frowned at that as the army.
“It’s only one soldier who had done that (referring to the soldier who criticised the governor). The army has investigated, that soldier has been apprehended and we are investigating.
“For every other comical acts that you have seen on social media, they are not personnel of the Nigerian Army. We have investigated that.”
Lagbaja said troops would be educated on the need to uphold the laws in every community they are deployed to serve.
