Soldier arrested for criticizing governor Sanwo-Olu, details emerge

Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of the Army Staff, has said that a soldier who criticised Governor Babajide San-Olu of Lagos state in a viral video has been arrested.

He emphasised that the conduct of the soldier caught driving against traffic does not represent the entire Nigerian Army.

He further disclosed that many viral videos showing soldiers criticising the Lagos state governor were fake, clarifying that only one authentic video was investigated, and the unidentified soldier involved had been apprehended.

The COAS also said that the Army has taken steps to instruct soldiers on how to behave in the different localities they are deployed.

Why Sanwo-Olu orders the arrest of a soldier in Lagos

Sanwo-Olu had, on Tuesday, January 2, ordered the arrest of a soldier and some commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) for driving against the traffic on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

The governor gave the order while returning from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, where he had gone to inaugurate a project sponsored by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Sanwo-Olu was later criticised by a soldier in a video for ordering the arrest of his colleague and three other motorcycle riders for riding against the flow of traffic on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

The unidentified soldier criticised Sanwo-Olu for labelling a soldier “useless” in front of “bastard civilians.”

The soldier appeared to defend his colleague in a widely shared video on Thursday, January 4.

Watch the video below:

COAS Lagbaja Condemns Verbal Attacks On Governor Sanwo-Olu Over Arrest Of Soldierhttps://t.co/8xNm3umlR7 pic.twitter.com/kKp020Y5xg

— TVC News (@tvcnewsng) January 9, 2024