Proliferation and Abuse of Nigerian Army Uniforms Before 2016
Main Article Content
Abstract
The article examined the proliferation and abuses of Nigerian military uniforms in a democratic setting. It also looked at the attendant security implications of such abuses before 2016, when the Nigerian Military harmonised the No. 6 Dress (camouflage uniforms) across the Services to check their proliferation. The article argued that although citizens recognised and respected the uniforms of the Nigerian military, some criminal elements procured them to commit crimes, sometimes using fake military identity cards. The historical method was adopted for this paper, utilising a rich collection of field interviews, official documents, and secondary evidence. The article argued that the proliferation and abuse of military uniforms, especially combat uniforms, further militarised the Nigerian State and posed serious security threats with attendant image damage for the Nigerian Military and a dwindling respect for the uniform. Consequently, the Nigerian Military High Command harmonised the combat uniform of the Armed Forces and addressed existing lapses in the procurement system, though with limited success at curbing its proliferation and abuse.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Toni Pfanner, ‘Military Uniforms and the Law of War,’ IRRC Vol. 86, No. 853, March 2004, 123.
War Planning and Training Division, Office of the Quartermaster-General (O.Q.M.G), “The Evolution of the Uniform,” The Quartermaster Review, March-April, 1928, 1. http://www.old.qmfound.com/uniform_evolution.htm , Accessed 28/02/2015.
Pfanner, ‘Military Uniforms and the Law of War,’ 93.
Pfanner, ‘Military Uniforms and the Law of War,’ 93.
Pfanner, “Military Uniforms...”
Nathan Joseph and Nicholas Alex, ‘The Uniform: A Sociological Perspective,’ American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 77, No. 4 (Jan., 1972), 719-730.
Pfanner, “Military Uniforms...,” 94
Timothy Bamidele, “Security Implications of Fake Uniforms and other Security Apparatus,” Radio Nigeria, Ibadan National Station, November 28, 2016. http://www.radionigeriaibadan.org.ng/2016/11/28/security-implications-of-fakeuniforms-and-other-security-apparatus/. Accessed 9/6/2018
See, Yves Sandoz, Christophe Swinarski and Bruno Zimmerman (eds.), Commentary on the Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, International Committee of the Red Cross/Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Geneva, 1987, 542 (n. 1723).
Interview with a Nigerian Army Officer, Name withheld, Colonel, Aged 47, Kaduna, 21/6/2018.
Ayomide O. Tayo, “Nigerian Army: The Silliness of the Nigerian Constitution on Civilians Wearing Camouflage,” 11/12/2016, http://www.pulse.ng/gist/nigerian-army-the-sillness-of-the-nigerian/.../camouflageid5881524.html. Accessed 21/6/2018.
Marek Thee, “Militarism and Militarization in Contemporary International Relations,” Security Dialogue, Vol. 8, Issue. 4, 1977, 296.
Oral Interview with Abayomi Zamba, Retired Director, 62 years, State Security Services, Kaduna, 1/9/2018.
Usman A. Tar, “Koboko Culture: The Militarisation of the Nigerian Polity and Society,” http://saharareporters.com/2011/07/17/.../-dr-usman-tar. Accessed 12/9/2015.
Tar, “Koboko Culture,”
Tar, “Koboko Culture,”
Tar, “Koboko Culture,”
Tar, “Koboko Culture,”
Daily Trust, “Customs Impounds Army Camouflage Uniforms,” August 22, 2017, 4:4PM, https://dailtrrust.com.ng/news/business/...uniforms/211142html. Accessed 20/6/2018.
K. C. Dixit, “Soldier in War-Positive Perspective,” Institute for Defence and Analyses, January 08, 2010, 1. http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/Soldierin/WarPositivePerspective_kcdixit_080110?=print/4826.Accessed 18/12/2015.
Nuruddeen M. Abdallah and Ronald Mutum, “Paramilitary Agencies Still Use Camouflage Uniforms despite the Ban,” Daily Trust, May 21, 2017, 2:00 AM, http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/feature/paramilitary/.../198591.html. Accessed 22/8/2018.
Abdallah and Mutum, “Paramilitary Agencies…”
Wale Odunsi, “FG Bans Police, Other Paramilitary Agencies from Use of Camouflage Uniforms,” June 12, 2015. http://dailypost.ng/2015/12/fg...Accessed 9/6/2018.
Odunsi, “FG Bans Police,”
Dixit, “Soldier in War,”
Fidelis Soriwei, “How Army Arrested Fake Major Who Runs a Clinic as a Medical Doctor in Abuja,” Punch Newspapers, Abuja, November 28, 2016, http://punchng.com/army-arrests-fake-major-operates-clinic-abuja/. Accessed 6/7/2018.
Joseph and Alex, “The Uniform, “722.
Vanguard News, Kingsley Omonobi, “Insecurity: Army Warns on Use of Uniforms,” Abuja, October 3, 2015. https://vaguardngr.com2015/10/insecurity-army-wars-use-of-uniforms/Accessed 6/7/2018.
Xurong Kong,” Military Uniform as Fashion during the Cultural Revolution,” Intercultural Communication Studies, XVII: 2, 2008,
Tayo, “The Silliness of the Nigerian,”
Sidewap, “Nigerian Army set to Deal Ruthlessly with Artists for Use of Uniforms,” http://sidewap.com/forum/nigerian-army-set-to-dealruthlessly-with-artistes-for-use-of-uniforms. Accessed 12/11/2015.
Anurika Onyelemelam, “Four Policemen Killed as men in Military Uniforms Attack Marine Command,” November 15, 2015, www.theeagleonline.com.ng. Accessed 27/11/2015.
Harriet Alexander, “Massacre at Fake Checkpoint as Boko Haram Slit throats of Travellers,” 20 Oct 2013, 10:41BST, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/africaandindianocean/nigeria10392610/. Accessed 30/11/2018.
Alexander, “Massacre at Fake Checkpoint”
Alexis Okeowo, “Nigeria’s Stolen Girls,” The New Yorker, April 29, 2014, 1. http://www.newyorker.com/news/dailly-comment/nierias-stolengirls Accessed 29/05/2018.
Okeowo, “Nigeria’s Stolen Girls,”
Vanguard, “Mark Urges China to Document Sale of Military Uniforms, Hardware,” May 12, 2014, 9:42PM, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/ Accessed 10/2/2015.
Jerry Lenbang, “Nigerian Armed Forces Launch New Harmonised Camouflage,” March 1, 2016, https://www.360nobs.com/2016/03/nigerianarmed-forces...camouflage/ Accessed 22/06/2017.
A. N. Hvidt, “The Danish Infantry Uniforms and Equipment throughout The Past 200 Years,” Per Finsted, 22 March, 2003, 1. https://www.chakoten.dk/Danishinfantry.../pdf Accessed 08/08/2015.
Lenbang, “Nigerian Armed Forces”
Carrie Hertz, “The Uniform: As Material, As Symbol, As Negotiated Object,” Midwestern Folklore, 32 (1, 2), 2007, 50.
Unpublished comments made by a soldier on the 01/11/2018.
Oral Interview with an Officer, (Name Withheld), 48 years, Colonel, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, 03/03/2017.
African Examiner, “Nigerian Military Move Against Imposters in Military Uniforms,” Wednesday, September 18th, 2013. https://www.africanexaminer.com/nigerian-military-move-against-impostorsin-military-uiforms/ Accessed 22/10/2015.
African Examiner, “Nigerian Military Move”
African Examiner, “Nigerian Military Move”