The Nigerian Army has arrested two serving soldiers over their alleged involvement in an unauthorised deployment during the high-profile wedding ceremony of Nigerian content creators Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, and TikTok personality Jarvis in Lekki, Lagos State.
Military sources disclosed that the arrests followed credible intelligence indicating that the personnel allegedly participated in an illegal deployment at the celebrity event held over the weekend.
The arrested soldiers were identified as 23NA/85/10007 Private Onasanya Ifeoluwa and 23NA/85/7885 Private Ukpai Onyinyechi, both attached to the 81 Division Medical Services and Hospital (81DMSH), Obalende, Lagos.
According to military sources, the two personnel were apprehended on Tuesday morning, while preliminary investigations are underway to determine the extent of their involvement and identify any other personnel connected to the incident.
“Following credible intelligence on the involvement of Nigerian Army personnel in illegal deployment during the popular social influencer’s wedding in Lekki, Lagos, the personnel were arrested. Preliminary investigation is ongoing to establish the extent of their involvement and identify other personnel connected with the incident. Further details will be forwarded as the investigation unfolds,” a military source said.
The development comes after videos from the widely attended wedding circulated on social media, showing uniformed military personnel providing security and crowd control around some of the celebrity guests.
One of the viral clips allegedly showed a soldier escorting a social media personality through the crowded venue, sparking public criticism and raising questions over the use of military personnel at a private social event.
The wedding, which attracted entertainers, influencers and content creators from across Nigeria, generated widespread attention online. However, the presence of uniformed soldiers at the ceremony shifted public discourse toward concerns over compliance with military regulations governing deployments.
The Nigerian Army has consistently maintained that serving personnel are prohibited from undertaking unauthorised private security duties or participating in deployments outside official military assignments without appropriate approval.
The ongoing investigation is expected to determine whether the deployment breached extant military regulations and whether additional disciplinary actions will be taken against those found culpable.
