The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has confirmed the arrest of a soldier who criticized Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for ordering the apprehension of his fellow soldier and three other motorcyclists for traffic violation on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway,Punch report.
Lagbaja expressed the Army’s dissatisfaction with the soldier’s behavior, deeming it contrary to the force’s discipline. Addressing reporters in Enugu on Tuesday, he stated that the arrested soldier and others displaying similar conduct are under investigation.
“The Army has investigated, and the soldier has been apprehended, and we are investigating every other incident that you have seen on social media,” he remarked.
The soldier in question had defended his colleague in a viral video, criticizing Governor Sanwo-Olu for addressing a soldier as ‘useless’ in the presence of civilians. He argued that the governor lacked the authority to arrest a soldier, particularly near a barracks, emphasizing that soldiers are accountable to their senior officers rather than state governors.
Lagbaja clarified that the arrested soldier does not represent the Nigerian Army and denounced the actions as contrary to the force’s principles and the state constitution.
“We frown at that as the Army, but concerning soldiers casting aspersions on the governor of Lagos State on social media, only one soldier has done that. The others are not personnel of the Nigerian Army,” he asserted.
He further explained that the soldiers seen in the video making political statements were not genuine military personnel, emphasizing that the Army is committed to upholding laws and rules.
Lagbaja concluded by affirming ongoing efforts to sensitize troops about the importance of discipline and adherence to local laws in the communities where they are stationed.
