The unearthing of candidates with questionable documents at the 86 Regular Recruits’ Intake for Tradesmen and Tradeswomen by the Nigeria Army in Lagos must not be swept under the carpet to douse political tension across national divides. It calls for vigilance by the Federal Government and the military authorities considering the heightened insecurity bedevilling all the geo political zones. If a document such as State of Origin could be issued to all comers, there is every possibility that even non-Nigerians may be serving in the Armed Forces. The Army clearly stipulated that applicants must possess a valid Certificate of State of Origin. There are indications that some candidates, who claimed to be from the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State, were actually from far flung areas outside the South-West. Another basic requirement is for applicants to possess the National Identity Number. Ordinarily, this should be commendable. However, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has failed to deliver as expected. The process of getting duly registered as a citizen is as difficult as the proverbial camel walking through the eye of a needle, in some parts of the country. The same process is so easy in particular sections where dwellers from neighbouring countries were registered as Nigerians.

With porous borders surrounding the nation, different faces and names have found it easy to claim Nigerian nationality, a development that has weakened the security architecture in the fight against bandits and terrorists. This is worrisome. For the Army, those involved in the recruitment fraud will be handed over to the Police for prosecution. This will come after verification from the appropriate issuing authority. The Army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, was emphatic about this, in his reaction. As this borders on national security, the job of investigation and prosecution should also involve the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Army. Without taking anything away from the Police, they need support to do a thorough job. The Chairman of Oshodi/ Isolo Local Government Area, Kehinde Oloyode, has shown concern by not only distancing his office from the scandal, he has promised to institute a probe to fish out those behind the damning act. While we await further investigations, it is too early to involve politics and politicians. Different ethnic nationalities hiding under the banner of cultural organisations must allow the Army and Police to do their jobs. National security should not be reduced to media propaganda. General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, a former Minister of Communications and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigeria Army, sees it from the prism of Lagos, wondering why citizens from outside the state should be allowed to take slots allocated to Lagos State. That advocacy is within his rights as a senior citizen. At the appropriate time, his concerns will be addressed but the burning issue at hand is about national security. Lagosians have ample time to deliberate on those, considered outsiders, controlling power and resources in their state and local government areas. The challenges facing the military are legion.

In the past, uniforms were not easily obtainable. Today, even combat fatigues are found in the various markets that dot the cities and villages. Criminals have taken advantage of this, as fake soldiers, to terrorise innocent citizens. Road blocks are mounted by terrorists wearing Nigeria Army uniforms creating an atmosphere of panic within transport workers and passengers. Perhaps, the process of obtaining information and uniforms begins from the recruitment grounds. In the past the media had reported that some apprehended criminals had ‘hired’ the weapons they used to carry out their nefarious activity from unscrupulous elements in the Nigeria Police Force, one can only pray that such has not also infiltrated the military. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, must monitor ongoing investigations to a conclusive end. Nothing is certain until a report is issued after painstaking findings. There were allegations in the past that a high ranking officer filled the slots of a section of the country with candidates from his home state. Apparently, because of the power of incumbency, those allegations were not properly investigated. The war against insurgency must not be allowed to overwhelm the already stretched military. One way to put the heat on is to properly monitor recruitment exercises. Findings will prove that beyond ethnicity and politics, there is more than what we know.

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