Although it is not against the law of the country, Nigerians have been advised to discontinue the use of camouflage (military attire) for the time being by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
For the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, the present security situation does not allow the use of military gear by people who are not personnel of the DHQ.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme, in reaction to a question about the crackdown on the use of military gear by civilians, on Friday, January 14, 2022, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor noted that the present unrest in the country makes the decision an unwise one.
“The criminals among us have had to take advantage of the military, police, and other security agencies’ gear to perpetrate crime,” said General Irabor.
“We live in a peculiar society – I do not need to restate what the make-up of our society is, what the level of discipline is generally.
“And when you compare it (Nigerian structure) to some places where a few individuals believe that whatever practice goes on in those societies should be replicated here, the other elements of social life in those societies; they do not bring that to bear right here.”
The General assured that the DHQ would continue to take appropriate actions to ensure that Nigerians do not see the military in a bad light when they wear its gear, and stated that safety should come first, however.
“Ordinarily, we will be glad to see that our symbol (gears) is being used for good causes,” he said. “A good number of those who use them have used them for ignoble causes and so, that brings us to a state where you begin to make certain assumptions.
“So, it is better for you to be safe first, then by virtue of your investigations, you can exonerate those who are using them for good causes. This is where we are.”
There have been cases of impostors arrested for passing themselves off as security personnel and using the strategy as means to commit fraud and other crimes.
