From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Army has appealed to civilians to refrain from wearing military uniforms illegally, warning that such actions undermine national security and enable criminal activities.
Major-General Gold Chibuisi, Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, made the call during a media briefing with defence correspondents in Abuja on April 25.
Chibuisi described the misuse of military attire as a recurring issue that violates Nigerian law. “I’m a bit surprised that most briefs we give in our programmes – we always talk about this issue of uniform because it keeps recurring,” he said. “It’s 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.”
He stressed that respecting the law preserves the armed forces’ integrity and safety, noting that offenders risk imprisonment. “If you like the military, join the military,” he urged. “Don’t wear our uniform if you are not one of us.”
Moreover, Chibuisi highlighted the security risks, stating, “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?” He cited incidents of criminals exploiting uniforms for robbery and extortion, complicating identification for civilians and security agencies.
Chibuisi called for community sensitisation, saying, “If somebody you know is not in the military comes out in the morning, and he wants to jog or drive to Shoprite wearing our uniform, you tell your boy, ‘Wait, you don’t join the army; remove this thing abeg.’ Make sure they don’t catch you.” He explained that soldiers are trained to arrest offenders and hand them over to the police for prosecution but acknowledged concerns about excessive force. “All these other things that come with it — harassment or rough handling — are not right,” he said. “And we are doing sensitisation on them. Those that we find, that we get evidence against, we always sanction them sternly.”
He urged prevention over enforcement, stating, “One side is for our soldiers to do the right thing when they see it, but the other side is for civilians not to do it at all. Spare us from all that.” Chibuisi also distinguished Nigeria’s context from other countries, noting, “This is not America. You can’t say because someone wears it in America, you can wear it here. Moreover, the challenges we are having here, I don’t think they have them in America.”