The Nigerian Army has appealed to citizens to avoid wearing military uniforms illegally, emphasising that respecting the uniform is an important part of strengthening national security and building trust between the military and the public.
The Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (Army), Maj. Gen. Gold Chibuisi, stated this while speaking during a media chat with Defence correspondents in Abuja.
He said the misuse of military attire by unauthorised persons not only violates the law but also aids criminal activities.
He said, “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.
“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 — it’s a crime.”
He stressed that the law must be respected to maintain the integrity and safety of the Armed Forces, warning that offenders could face jail time.
“If you like the military, join the military,” he said. “Don’t wear our uniform if you are not one of us.”
He, however, condemned the harassment and assault of civilians for unlawfully wearing military uniforms, stressing that while such acts are illegal, the Nigerian Army does not support violence against offenders.
Maj. Gen. Chibuisi said although it is against Nigerian law for non-military personnel to wear military uniforms, soldiers must act professionally and lawfully when handling such cases.
“But that’s one part of it. Let people stop it. The other part is what we do, what our troops do when they see somebody dressed in military uniform. You’re supposed to just get the person to remove it, arrest and hand it over to the Police, basically for prosecution. All these other things that come with it are not right. And we are doing sensitisation on them,” he explained.
He said many soldiers had been sanctioned for assaulting Nigerians who wore military camouflage.
“Those that we find and there was evidence that they did that, we always sanction them sternly. And we’ll continue to do that,” Chibuisi declared.
Highlighting the security risks, Chibuisi noted that criminals increasingly exploit military uniforms to commit crimes, making it harder for civilians and security agencies to identify genuine soldiers.
“Currently, there are a lot of criminals using military garb to perpetrate crime,” he said. “If people keep dressing like that, how do you differentiate between a criminal and a genuine soldier?”
He urged families and communities to help with sensitisation from the home front. “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.”
Maj. Gen. Chibuisi 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 — are not right,” he acknowledged. “And we are doing sensitization on them. Those that we find, that we get evidence against, we always sanction them sternly.”
He also emphasized the importance of preventing the offense before it occurs: “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.”
Drawing a sharp distinction between Nigeria and other countries, Chibuisi added, “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.”
He stressed the importance of public perception in strengthening national unity, noting that soldiers should be seen as brothers, sons, and neighbors — not as distant or violent enforcers.
The Army General shared a personal story to illustrate the lingering trust issues the military faces, recounting how an officer had to spend nine months convincing a lady to marry him due to negative perceptions of soldiers being violent.
“I don’t want another officer to go through that.
“It’s a work in progress, but as we fine-tune the conduct of our personnel and deepen public engagement, things will keep improving, ” Chibuisi said.
Addressing the controversial use of military uniforms by civilians, Chibuisi warned that impersonating military personnel is illegal and could endanger national security.
“Currently, there are a lot of criminals using military uniform to perpetrate crimes. If people keep dressing like that, how do you differentiate between a criminal and a genuine soldier?” he asked.
He called on the media and the public to assist in sensitisation efforts, stressing that offenders should be arrested and prosecuted, rather than subjected to extrajudicial treatment.
Earlier, the President of the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria, Ismail Musa, pledged journalists’ commitment to responsible, accurate, and balanced reporting of security matters.
“Today’s roundtable is not just for speeches; it’s a call to action. Through our work, we aim to foster a safer, more secure Nigeria,” Musa stated.
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