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Army Confirms Arrest of Soldier Who Insulted Sanwo-Olu
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has said the Nigerian Army has arrested the soldier who slammed the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for ordering the arrest of his colleague alongside three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Lagbaja said the Army is displeased with the conduct of the soldier, saying it is against the discipline of the force.
While addressing journalists on Tuesday in Enugu on the conduct of the soldiers, Lagbaja said the said soldiers have been arrested and an investigation is ongoing on others who had acted in the same manner.
“The Army has investigated and the soldier has been apprehended and we are investigating for every other comical that you have seen on social media,” he said.
The soldier had slammed Sanwo-Olu following the arrest of his colleague alongside three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The yet-to-be-identified soldier in a viral video defended his colleague and faulted Sanwo-Olu for calling a soldier ‘useless’ in the presence of ‘bastard civilians’.
He said the state governor had no right to arrest a soldier, especially in front of his barracks, noting that soldiers are not under the control of any state governor but their senior officers.
Reacting to the development, Lagbaja said the soldier arrested for plying one way does not represent the Nigerian Army, saying that the action contravenes the discipline of the force and the constitution of the state.
He said, “I want to say that the soldier that was apprehended by the governor of Lagos State while playing on a one way, does not represent the Nigerian Army because, in every respect, it contravenes what we stand for which is discipline as an Army and the constitution and the laws of Lagos state.”
He, however, noted that contrary to the claims that three officers of the force had come out to defend their colleague and faulted the state governor, only one of them was an officer of the force.
“And we frown at that as Army but what you alleged that soldiers have gone to the social media casting aspersions on the person and the office of the governor of Lagos State, I will say it’s only one soldier that has done that. The others are not personnel of the Nigerian Army.
“We have investigated the mode of dressing of some of them, and you will know that they are not personnel of the Nigerian Army.
“One of them was wearing the badge upside down and you will know that that is not a personnel of the Nigerian Army. An officer can never do that. And from the utterances that these people made, you’ll know the angle from which they are talking. They are talking about politics, not the Army.
“So, we will leave it like that for the ones that pertain to the army we are investigating to be treated accordingly.”
Speaking further, Lagbaja said the troops will be senstised on the disciplined and law-abiding to the constitution of communities where they are posted to discharge their duties.
“Even this morning as I arrived in Enugu, the Chief of Administration, Army, sent me a draft directive that he was sending down to all formations and units of the Nigerian Army to further sensitise our troops on the need to be disciplined and abide by the laws of every community where they are deployed.
“So, we are serious about upholding laws, and rules and remaining disciplined and we will enforce that on our personnel,” assured.
Sanwo-Olu ordered the arrest of a soldier and three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
In a viral video, Sanwo-Olu was seen ordering his men to put one of the motorcyclists who claimed to be a soldier into the vehicle, stating that he was going to lock him up.
The Punch
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
