Nigerian Army Responds to Soldier’s Criticism of Lagos Governor’s Actions…
Lt Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, affirmed the Nigerian Army’s arrest of a soldier for rebuking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s order to detain his colleague and three motorcyclists for traffic violations on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Lagbaja expressed the Army’s disapproval, citing the soldier’s behavior as contrary to the force’s discipline. He assured ongoing investigations into similar incidents involving soldiers.
“The soldier has been apprehended, and we are probing other similar incidents seen on social media,” stated Lagbaja during a press conference in Enugu.
Regarding the soldier’s criticism of Governor Sanwo-Olu, Lagbaja clarified, “The arrested soldier’s actions do not represent the Nigerian Army’s ethos or the state’s laws. We stand for discipline and respect for constitutional authority.”
He further explained that only one individual among those speaking out on social media was a legitimate army officer, emphasizing that actions and attire demonstrated otherwise for the rest.
Addressing the troops’ conduct, Lagbaja underscored plans to sensitize them about upholding discipline and adhering to local laws in the areas where they are stationed.
“We’re serious about upholding laws and discipline among our personnel,” Lagbaja affirmed, referencing a directive circulated to all Nigerian Army formations on maintaining discipline and abiding by local regulations.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s action of ordering the arrest of the soldier and motorcyclists was captured in a widely circulated video, wherein he instructed his team to detain one claiming to be a soldier for traffic violation.
