Bridge Commander in charge of 14 Brigade Ohafia, Brigadier Gen. Olusola Diya, has called on members of the public to report any soldier or military personnel torturing civilians for having dreadlocks.
Brig-Gen Diya disclosed this while speaking during the 33rd edition of the Social Media seminar for media practitioners and influencers in Aba, Abia State.
He said this while responding to a question on the constitutionality of the activities of military personnel who drag down and subject commuters with dreadlock to torture at military checkpoints.
Diya emphasized that there is no law prohibiting people from having dreadlocks. He noted that while internet fraudsters are sometimes associated with this hairstyle, it is a violation of people’s rights for soldiers to target innocent citizens based on their appearance.
Addressing concerns about military personnel harassing commuters with dreadlocks at checkpoints, Brigadier Gen. Diya clarified that there is no law prescribing a specific dress code for citizens, emphasizing that it is wrong for military personnel to enforce nonexistent laws and threatened severe sanctions against any personnel found engaging in such behavior.
” Any soldier found arresting people with dreadlock will be dealt with. Once you see any soldier engaging in such unprofessional conduct, please get us his name and the checkpoint, and see what we will do,” he said.
Diya equally addressed the recent alleged torture to death of a hotel staff in Umuahia, stating that the soldiers involved had been arrested and would soon face trial.
He apologized for the unprofessional conduct of the soldiers and assured that justice would be served to all those involved in the act.
” We are genuinely sorry for that. Those soldiers involved are in guard room. They will be brought to book,” he said.
The Brigade Commander urged media practitioners and bloggers to use social media to report the excesses of military personnel on duty to the appropriate military authorities.
” People should use social media to report to us any unprofessional conduct of any military personnel in uniform”.
Earlier in his address, the Director of Psychological Operations at the Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Army Headquarters, Abuja, Brigadier Gen. B.S Keji, highlighted that the seminar aimed to connect social media influencers and content creators to promote peace rather than crisis through social media.
He emphasized that the event was also intended to enhance the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the civilian population.
Brigadier Gen. Keji urged bloggers and social media influencers to avoid disseminating harmful content that could incite tension or crisis in their efforts to attract traffic.
