Proliferation and Abuse of Nigerian Army Uniforms Before 2016

The article examined the proliferation and abuses of Nigerian military uniforms in a democratic setting. It also looked at the attendant security implications of such abuses before 2016, when the Nigerian Military harmonised the No. 6 Dress (camouflage uniforms) across the Services to check their proliferation. The article argued that although citizens recognised and respected the uniforms of the Nigerian military, some criminal elements procured them to commit crimes, sometimes using fake military identity cards. The historical method was adopted for this paper, utilising a rich collection of field interviews, official documents, and secondary evidence. The article argued that the proliferation and abuse of military uniforms, especially combat uniforms, further militarised the Nigerian State and posed serious security threats with attendant image damage for the Nigerian Military and a dwindling respect for the uniform. Consequently, the Nigerian Military High Command harmonised the combat uniform of the Armed Forces and addressed existing lapses in the procurement system, though with limited success at curbing its proliferation and abuse.