Nwafili Sues Nigerian Army, AGF For It’s Logo That Expresses Her Motto In Arabic

An Onitsha based legal practitioner and Human Rights, Constitutional cum Political Rights crusader, Nwafili Okwuosa Esq has challenged the constitutional consistency of the act of the Nigerian Army. In a suit filed against the vs. Nigerian Army Council and Attorney General of the Federation, with Suit NO: FHC /CS/AWK/115/2017. According to the plaintiff, “the Nigerian Army has its logo which expresses her motto in Arabic. This has raised eyebrows in several quarters as to the propriety of that, taking into cognizance that Arabic is neither an indigenous language nor our lingua franca. It is simply the language of the Islamic Religion.” Speaking further, he pointed out that Nigeria as a country has its grundnorm – the Constitution, written in English Language. It is the same language that is used to transact official businesses within the country by the three arms of government. Same language extends to businesses at International fora to wit- Economic Community of West African States, African Union, United Nations, etc. Only in moments of expediency, are our three major languages – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, deployed. To Nwafili the vistas of lingua franca and local languages further poignantly questions the rationale in using Arabic, which is peculiar to the Islamic Faith, on the logo, which logo appears in official documents emanating from the Nigerian Army. Is this not in terrorem against Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which forbids the adoption of a state religion? In the suit filed at Federal High Court, Awka Division, Anambra State, the plaintiff is seeking, A declaration that Arabic is not an official language for the conduct of official businesses in Nigeria; A declaration that the writing of the motto of the Nigerian Army on her logo in Arabic is illegal and unconstitutional, in the light of provision of Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended). The plaintiff is also asking the court to compel the Army to rewrite, in English, the motto on her logo and effect same in all her official documents. The matter is fixed on 6th December 2017 for hearing]]>