Don’t Wear Our Uniform If You Don't Want to Go to Jail Says Nigerian Army Boss
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Nigerian Army has explained why civilians cannot use military uniforms in whatever guise, adding that wearing military uniforms is a crime, which could attract jail terms.
OTN News further reports that the Army’s Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (CCMA), Major.-Gen. Gold Chibuisi, who made the clarification during a media chat with Defence correspondents in Abuja, noted that respecting the uniform is an important part of strengthening national security and building trust between the military and the public.
Gen. Chibuisi explained that the misuse of military attire by unauthorized persons not only violates the law but also aids criminal activities.
According to him “I am a bit surprised that most briefs we give in our programmes, we always talk about this issue of uniform because it keeps recurring.
“It is against the law of the land. If you are not in the armed forces or the security agencies, to use their uniform — whether you love it or not — is a crime.
“If you like the military, join the military. “Don’t wear our uniform if you are not one of us.” the Major-General explained.
The CCMA further stressed that the law must be respected to maintain the integrity and safety of the Armed Forces.
Highlighting the security risks, Chibuisi noted that criminals increasingly exploit military uniforms to commit crimes, making it difficult for civilians and security agencies to identify genuine soldiers.
He said, “currently, there are a lot of criminals using military garb to perpetrate crime. If people keep dressing like that, how do you differentiate between a criminal and a genuine soldier?”
Gen. Chibuisi further explained that soldiers are trained to arrest civilians caught wearing military gear and hand them over to the police for prosecution.
“All these other things that come with it — harassment or rough handling those caught— are not right. And we are doing sensitization on them. The soldiers that we get evidence against, we always sanction them sternly,” he said.
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