Decades after last military regime, a Nigerian soldier is still your daddy

By popular description, a Daddy (dad) is a mature male who has an obligation to care for an offspring. But he can also scold it with a cane in the event of any naughty behavior. Dad here is your Nigerian soldier if you are focused on the last attribute.

A bunch of Hollywood movies with a theme of modern warfare portray soldiers as effective at battle, humorous and kind. You would have lost a bet if you were banking on finding the last listed feature in a Nigerian soldier.

Their show of brutality when dealing with civilians, the people that showered them with praise for their bravery against the Boko Haram insurgents, is no secret. Some soldiers have acted in a manner that fits the idea of an entitled brat.

The notion that you can be battered by a Nigerian soldier if he finds you wearing an army fatigue is not a myth if one has experienced it either as the object of an ensuing assault or a spectator.

Don’t pay too much mind on the recurring use of a masculine pronoun in addressing the issue. This is not only restricted to male soldiers as their female colleagues have proved that they are equally capable of assault and intimidation.

Why are our soldiers so angry?

Do you recall a viral video that saw a woman-soldier punish a male civilian who gave her a compliment according to reports? She was heard making comments about her rough experiences in an army academy. She seemed to feel her encounter during training should earn her the position of a demi-god who is immune to advances from men.

This sense of pride and air of remarkable achievement has characterized most army personnel in their interaction with civilians and their excuses have gone unchecked.

The high echelon officers in the Nigerian army have only seemed to be correcting their underlings when there have been a public outcry by the masses.

They mostly follow up with a press release announcing that the concerned soldiers have been arrested but have often failed to give further comments on the outcome of investigations. This is why it is easy to assume that they are encouraging more misdemeanor.

It might appear that these soldiers are in a state of fantasia or nostalgia. Their sweet exploits thirty years ago seems fresh in their minds.

They are probably stuck in an era when the wealthy people in the country had positions in the army. A time when the youths saw the occupation of being a soldier as lucrative. It is 2017 they need to realize that Boko Haram is the real threat.