A certain video of some soldiers went viral in the week, where the soldiers – two of them – protested against the alleged killing of one of them by a mob in Warri, Delta State, after the deceased soldier allegedly killed a male civilian for defying the stay-at-home order by the federal government.
But in protesting on behalf of their colleague, the soldiers warned the people of Warri of what was about to hit them, including raping their wives, mothers, sisters and infecting them with HIV. For all it is worth, it was in every way a criminal low from a people assigned to maintain peace and order to dish out such threat in a video and release it to the public.
Even more disappointing was the attempt by the Nigerian Army to deny that they were Nigerian soldiers. But they forgot that the soldiers were specific about the incidence and where it took place, which showed clearly they were Nigerian soldiers.
Therefore, the military leadership cannot sit back and pretend this never happened. Such high level of indiscipline and irresponsibility cannot be glossed over under whatever guise. An example must not just be made of them but seen as having been made.
Those who made that video clearly, are the dregs in the military and must be tamed effectively before they contaminate many others. Thankfully, the military has since announced that the dregs in the viral video have been arrested and will be subjected to appropriate punishment. No doubt this swift action is commendable. We are happy that the military reversed its earlier position and swiftly took action against the culprits. The nation is eagerly awaiting their punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.
