Veterans of the armed forces criticize Sanwo-Olu and vow to skip Remembrance Day.

A soldier and three other motorcycle riders were ordered to be arrested by Sanwo-Olu on January 2 for riding against the flow of traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

In the video, Sanw-Olu said, “Arrest him, arrest him! Take him into your vehicle, you are telling me you are a soldier and that is the more reason I am going to lock you up. Get inside there, useless boy! You are telling me you are a soldier.”

Later, in a widely shared video, an anonymous soldier made fun of the governor for calling a soldier "useless." But in a letter to the governor dated January 10—a copy of which our correspondent was able to get on Tuesday—the veterans writing under the banner of the Coalition of Concerned Veterans pointed out that the governor's actions depicted the military as “useless” to the nation and its residents.

The coalition's spokeswoman, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, signed the letter, which expressed the dissatisfaction of both retired military and front-line soldiers with the governor's actions.

The letter said, in part, "An embarrassing viral video featuring the governor and some Lagos residents along the Badary/Ojo Expressway is making the rounds on social media. This has drawn the attention of the Coalition of Concerned (Military) Veterans, an alliance of Military Veterans Associations and pressure groups."As members of the Veterans Community, we view the regrettable event, your response, and your conduct as an admission that Nigeria and Nigerians find the Armed Forces of Nigeria "useless." It has had a significant negative impact on the mental health and spirits of both active-duty soldiers and retired officers and men from the armed forces.

It is unimaginable that on January 15, 2023, Your Excellency will be expected to preside over a parade led by some of the Nigerian Armed Forces' direct product.

"Your statement brutally demeaned our collective identity as represented by the soldier and, by extension, the sanctity of discipline the Armed Forces of Nigeria represents."

The soldiers represented their shared identity, according to the veterans, and "your statement is not only to him but to the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria."

The letter further stated that in order to vent their resentment over the occurrence, the veterans of the armed forces planned to stop the state from holding an Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.

"The letter also expressed the widespread frustration and anger within the Veterans Community to not only stop the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration from taking place in Lagos, but also to fully boycott any activity related to the upcoming event as a way of expressing our misgivings about the way the issue was handled, even though it does not entirely absolve the soldier of blame."

Durowaiye-Herberts requested that, by January 15, the governor extend an apology to the veterans and the Armed Forces.

In addition, he said, "Your Excellency, your prompt expression of regret is expedient to soothe frayed nerves of the psychological injuries from those unfortunate verbal expressions; to give peace a chance and enable the Veterans Community to be reassured once more of the government's effort to make the sacrifices of both serving and retired members of the Nigerian Armed Forces valued."