The Nigerian Army has arrested two serving soldiers over their alleged involvement in an unauthorised deployment during the lavish wedding ceremony of popular content creator Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, and fellow TikTok star Jarvis.
The arrests followed intelligence reports linking the personnel to security duties performed at the celebrity wedding held in Lekki, Lagos State, over the weekend. Military authorities reportedly took the soldiers into custody on Tuesday and have since commenced an investigation into how they came to be assigned to the private event.
The incident has attracted widespread public attention after several videos from the ceremony surfaced online, showing uniformed military personnel providing security and controlling access around some of the event’s high profile guests.
The footage quickly sparked debate on social media, with many Nigerians questioning the appropriateness of deploying serving military personnel to a private celebration involving entertainers, influencers and other celebrities.
The arrested soldiers have been identified as Private Onasanya Ifeoluwa, service number 23NA/85/10007, and Private Ukpai Onyinyechi, service number 23NA/85/7885. Both personnel are attached to the 81 Division Medical Services and Hospital in Obalende, Lagos.
According to a military source, the arrests were made after credible intelligence suggested that the two soldiers participated in what has been described as an illegal deployment at the wedding.
The source disclosed that preliminary investigations are already underway to determine the extent of their involvement and identify any other military personnel who may have participated in the assignment. The source added that additional details will be released as the investigation progresses.
Peller and Jarvis’ wedding drew a large gathering of entertainers, social media personalities, content creators and fans, making it one of the most talked about celebrity events of the weekend. Videos from the colourful ceremony spread rapidly across social media platforms shortly after the celebration.
The controversy intensified after clips showed individuals dressed in Nigerian Army uniforms managing access to parts of the venue and escorting selected guests.
One of the widely circulated videos allegedly captured a soldier acting as security for TikTok personality Ivanna while guiding her through a crowd. The footage generated criticism from members of the public, many of whom questioned why serving soldiers appeared to be carrying out security duties at a privately organised event.
The Nigerian Army has consistently maintained that serving personnel are not permitted to undertake private security assignments or participate in deployments without official approval.
Under existing military regulations, soldiers must obtain proper authorisation before accepting any assignment outside their official responsibilities. Any unauthorised deployment is regarded as a breach of military discipline and may attract disciplinary measures or other sanctions after investigation.
Military authorities are expected to continue their probe to determine whether additional personnel or civilians were involved in the alleged unauthorised deployment. The investigation is also expected to establish how the soldiers came to be present at the event and whether any violations of military regulations occurred.
