The Nigerian Army has explained why civilians cannot use military uniforms in whatever guise.
It said wearing military uniforms is a crime, which could attract jail terms.
Army’s Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (CCMA), Major.-Gen. Gold Chibuisi, made the clarification on Saturday night during a media chat with Defence correspondents in Abuja.
The CCMA noted that respecting the uniform is an important part of strengthening national security and building trust between the military and the public.
Gen. Chibuisi said the misuse of military attire by unauthorized persons not only violates the law but also aids criminal activities.
He said: “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.
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“If you like the military, join the military. “Don’t wear our uniform if you are not one of us.”
The CCMA 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 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?”
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 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.
