Nigeria: Military Men Banned From Use Of Siren, Horsewhip On Roads

[Muhsin]

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Paul Dike, has outlawed the use of siren by military personnel in the country henceforth.

In the same vein, no military officer must be seen carrying horsewhip around, either as personal paraphernalia or an instrument to intimidate civilians in the society.

In a statement in Abuja by the Defence Headquarters and signed by the Director of Defence Information, Chris Jemitola, the CDS said the use of siren and whip by military men is a sign of intimidation and oppression that has continued to rub-off negatively on the image of the military as an institution.

The military, he said, is ordinarily supposed to be people friendly.

Dike's latest action is an apparent reaction to the recent ugly incident during which a naval chieftain's convoy reportedly brutalised a civilian leader on a Lagos road.

The CDS noted that the use of siren and whip by military men has had a lot of negative effect on the citizenry as series of dire consequences has been created in the course of forcing civilians off the road for officers to pass, using the siren and whip as objects of effecting such.

In banning the use of siren by the military men, the CDS exempted his office and that of the other service chiefs in all the three services, although with a caveat that siren must be used "sparingly and when absolutely necessary".

Coming down hard on the use of horsewhip by military personnel in forcing people to obey their commands, the CDS said, "the horsewhip is not part of the military uniform and will not be tolerated to be seen in the possession of anyone".

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