The Nigerian Army has urged members of the public to alert the authorities anytime they see a soldier misbehaving in public.
This is coming on the heels of the dismissal of Lance Corporal Ayodeji Sunday, formerly attached to the Nigerian Army Workshop, Ikeja, for flouting the state traffic laws last week Thursday.
Ayodeji was involved in a fracas with officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Task Force on the Environment when he was stopped by the officers for plying the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Lane reserved for state owned buses.
The soldier had resisted attempts to impound his car and engaged the traffic officials in a scuffle that injured two.
Ayodeji was consequently court marshalled and dismissed from the Nigerian Army after he was found guilty of misdemeanour. Army authorities also handed him over to the Task Force on the Environment for prosecution.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division Nigeria Army, said the army will not tolerate any indiscipline from his officers as the dismissal of the erring officer will serve as a deterrent to others who would want to take the laws into their hands.
“The Nigerian Army is a human organisation and we have human beings as soldiers," he said. "As human beings, we have our share of black eggs. It is not a perfect organisation, and no other organisation is perfect either. We would pursue better civil/military relations to its logical end and as it is required by the books.
While we at the hierarchy mean good for the system, there are some too at the lower cadre who do not portend good for the system. The soldier who was involved in the BRT offence the other day has been dismissed from service and he would eventually be handed over to the Lagos State task force for prosecution.”
Minimah advised officers to abide by all civil laws as the army uniform should not be used for reckless behaviour by officers. “That is a far-reaching warning for others who may want to take the law into their hands and breach the laws of the state, we will not condone that," he said. "The Nigerian Army is a professional organisation. Whoever disobeys the laws of Lagos State would be dealt with appropriately irrespective of who you are or where you belong. The Nigeria Army is subordinate to the constitution of Nigeria and the state laws.”
The general also urged members of the public to call the Nigerian Army if they see any soldier misbehaving in public. He gave the phone numbers to contact as:
The Commander 9th Brigade Cantonment, Ikeja – 08023101918
The Commander 81 Division Intelligence Group – 08065004611
The Commander 81 Division Provost Group – 08033112845
Operation Mesa lines – 08036861232, 08028066921, 08088821270, 08034335582, 07035980644, 08036805571, 070369669291, 07033182019, 08036622830, 08061117947, 08065666611, 07036026437 and 08028341852.
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