The Nigerian Army has detained two serving soldiers over alleged illegal duty at the wedding ceremony of popular content creator Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, and fellow TikTok personality, Jarvis.

The soldiers were reportedly apprehended on Tuesday following intelligence reports linking them to the high-profile wedding held in Lekki, Lagos, over the weekend, where they were allegedly seen providing security at the private event.

According to military sources, the arrested personnel are Private Onasanya Ifeoluwa, with service number 23NA/85/10007, and Private Ukpai Onyinyechi, with service number 23NA/85/7885. Both are attached to the 81 Division Medical Services and Hospital (81DMSH), Obalende, Lagos.

A senior military source disclosed that the arrests were made on Tuesday morning after authorities received credible intelligence about the soldiers’ alleged participation in what was described as an unauthorized deployment.

The source said preliminary investigations had commenced to determine the extent of their involvement and identify any other personnel who may have participated in the incident.

“Following credible intelligence on the involvement of Nigerian Army personnel in illegal deployment during popular social influencer’s wedding known as Peller at Lekki, Lagos, the Group arrested 23NA/85/10007 PTE Onasanya Ifeoluwa of 81 Division Medical Services and Hospital (81DMSH) and 23NA/85/7885 PTE Ukpai Onyinyechi of 81DMSH at Obalende this morning.

“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,” the source was quoted as saying.

The arrests followed the circulation of several videos from the celebrity wedding on social media, showing uniformed military personnel controlling access to parts of the venue and escorting guests.

One of the clips that generated widespread reactions allegedly showed a soldier acting as a bouncer while escorting TikTok personality Ivanna through a crowd of guests.

The videos sparked criticism online, with many Nigerians questioning why serving military personnel were allegedly deployed to provide security at a private social event involving celebrities and social media influencers.

Peller and Jarvis’ wedding attracted prominent entertainers, content creators and influencers from across the country, with videos from the ceremony dominating social media over the weekend.

However, the celebration quickly stirred up controversy after footage emerged showing men dressed in military uniforms performing crowd-control and escort duties at the venue.

The Nigerian Army has consistently maintained that serving personnel are prohibited from undertaking unauthorised private security assignments or participating in deployments without official approval.

Moverover, the controversy also comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Federal Government to limit the deployment of security personnel for private protection. In 2023, President Bola Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to many VIPs and other private individuals as part of measures to strengthen policing and improve public security. The President also directed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) should assume responsibility for providing protection to eligible VIPs in appropriate cases.