The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Olufemi Oluyede, has queried the Commanding Officer of Sappers Barracks, Ilese-Ijebu, after soldiers were deployed to provide security protection at Senator Gbenga Daniel’s political rally in Ijebu-Igbo last Saturday.
The query, routed through the Ogun State Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Godwin Nwamba, followed reports that the soldiers were procured through retired Brigadier-General Okunowo, a close associate of Daniel who trails him around and acted as the fixer during the outing.
Speaking with Premium Times, Nwamba said he became aware of the incident when he received a complaint that soldiers allegedly provided security at a political gathering, a tasks meant for members of the NSCDC, and immediately queried the battalion commander, who said he never deployed soldiers for that purpose, and that the soldiers seen at the rally were on routine patrol in their areas of responsibility.
He added that the military authorities were currently investigating the commander’s claims.
The CDS was said to have demanded full explanations from the Sappers Barracks Command, insisting that the military would not tolerate manipulation by politicians or their retired proxies.
According to military sources, Okunowo allegedly used his rank to improperly influence the Sappers Barracks Commanding Officer into releasing soldiers for a partisan event—an act described as a gross abuse of the privileges of a retired military officer.
This is not the first time such questionable conduct has been linked to Daniel, who has repeatedly exploited state institutions for personal political gain.
A top politician from the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as reckless, adding that Daniel’s latest action portrays him as reckless, desperate, and willing to drag the military into the mud simply to massage his ego and project power at a political rally.
He lamented that Senator Daniel, a former governor, continues to display an astonishing level of irresponsibility and entitlement, saying: “While the armed forces are stretched thin fighting banditry, terrorism, and threats to national security, Daniel believes soldiers should abandon national duty to play bodyguard at his political gatherings.
“How much more unpatriotic can a public official be?
“Daniel’s conduct remains a shameless assault on democracy, military ethics, and national interest—an outrageous abuse of state power that must not go unpunished.”
