On Wednesday morning, a viral video posted on X by a user, @Agbojolowoku, revealed new recruits in the Nigeria Army who, despite being non-indigenes of Lagos State, were allegedly issued ‘Letters of Indigeneship’ when enlisted.
The Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, implicated in this constitutional breach, is accused of providing these unlawful documents through the Office of the Executive Chairman, granting non-indigenous individuals the privilege of claiming slots reserved for Lagos State indigenes in the Nigeria Army recruitment.
However, the Local Government Executive Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almaroof Oloyede, swiftly disclaimed knowledge of the letter, asserting that it was not issued by him.
In response to the controversy, a statement titled “Letter of Indigeneship: Oshodi-Isolo Council Chairman, Oloyede Orders Thorough Investigation, Promises All those involved will face the full wrath of the law” was released from the Chairman’s Media Office.
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Oloyede not only labeled the letter as fake but also mandated a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
The Executive Chairman, alarmed by the online uproar, directed an in-depth probe into the troubling video.
Oloyede, while emphasizing the gravity of the situation, pledged that anyone involved in the criminal act would be subjected to the full force of the law. Expressing strong disapproval, the council chairman condemned the issuance of the letter of indigeneship to non-indigenous individuals, deeming it a criminal act.
He vowed to leave no stone unturned in uncovering those responsible for this illicit issuance.
“I received the report of the unfortunate trending video, where a letter of indigeneship were purportedly issued to some non-indigenes, which has placed the local government in public glare. As the Executive Chairman, I have ordered that a thorough investigation be carried out and that all those involved be handed over to security agencies for prosecution.”
“Let me use this opportunity to inform our people that we shall not in any way sweep this unfortunate matter under the carpet, as we want to unearth those behind this to serve as deterrent to others who will want to drag the noble name of our council in disrepute. We will do the needful, we will not let any stone unturned,” he said. #Lagos