Only Daddy Showkey has taken permission to wear the Army camouflage before.
The Nigerian Army has denied sending out a letter to Nigerian musicians, cautioning against wearing the army camouflage.
In a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES, the Army spokesperson, Olajide Laleye, a Brigadier General, said the letter, which circulated on the internet early this week, wasn’t from the Army.
The letter asked Nigerian celebrities to stop using the military wear in music videos, photo-shoots and concerts and even pointed out that some of the celebrity smoked marijuana while wearing the camouflage.
Mr. Laleye, however, concurred that it was indeed a crime for civilians to wear the camouflage or any other uniform of the Nigerian Army.
“The letter isn’t from the Army and I am not aware if we wrote any. But there is a law which prohibits all civilians from wearing the Army camouflage and this law binds the celebrities too,” Mr. Laleye said.
He added that permits were nevertheless issued to celebrities who desired to wear the uniform.
“Celebrities who want to wear the Army camouflage should seek permission and it will be granted. Daddy Showkey is the only celebrity to have applied for permission to wear the Army camouflage; others just put it on at will and it is wrong and punishable,” he said.
Celebrities called out in the controversial letter for wearing camouflage include Terry G, Iyanya, Wizkid, Davido, Tekno and Chidinma.
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