An unusual occurrence was
witnessed at the Nigerian Army
Cantonment in Victoria Island in
Lagos recently. It was the day
military officers, both young and
old, gathered to promote a camel
from the Sultanate’s animal
husbandry. By the time the soldiers
departed, the lucky camel was
wearing his new rank with pride. It
was the day Camel Rakumi became
a corporal in the Nigerian Army.
Brigadier General Sanusi Nasir
Muazu, Commander of the 9
Brigade, , led other one star
Generals and Colonels to decorate
the camel with the military rank of
corporal.
General Muazu commended the 65
Battalion of the force for keeping to
the universal military tradition of
maintaining a mascot.
The decoration had initially cast
many questions in the hearts of
barrack residents and watchers of
events in military circles. Many
people had sought the motive
behind the adornment of a camel
with the rank of corporal.
Some military officers who spoke
with Daily Sun likened the induction
of Camel Rakumi to that of many
military mascots scattered in all the
armed forces around the world.
Military mascots, the soldiers noted,
refer to pet animals maintained by a
military unit for ceremonial
purposes or as an emblem of that
unit. It may also be referred to as a
ceremonial pet or regimental
mascot.
The camel, Daily Sun learnt, had
arrived Lagos from Sokoto State
and had just reported to the
Commanding Officer of 65 Battalion
after a three-month training at the
Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria,
Kaduna State.
Identified as Camel Rakumi, the
Army authorities said that the camel
had reported that early at the parade
ground because it was its day of
induction into the Nigerian Army, as
a mascot for the 65 Battalion.
The battalion is an infantry battalion
attached to the 81 Division in Lagos.
Its insignia is a camel and since that
was established it had always had a
live camel as its mascot.
Shortly after Camel Rakumi took its
position at the far end of the parade
ground, the battalion moved
towards adorning it with its uniform
so as to really belong to the force.
A pink and red cloth, which was the
colour of the battalion, was thrown
around the camel while same
colours were tied around its legs.
A soldier was assigned to the camel
to give it direction, while over 100
soldiers filed out to join in the
parade heralding the decoration of
the camel with the rank of a
corporal.
The induction, Daily Sun learnt
makes the camel a full-fledged
member of the Nigerian Army
entitled to everything a soldier is
entitled to.
Before November 9, 2010 when
Camel Rakumi was posted to the 65
Battalion, it underwent military
training at the Nigerian Army depot
in Zaria and was given a thorough
orientation about the battalion he
was to serve in.
It was learnt that the camel has a
history with the Nigerian Army, as it
was born on January 15, 2006, a
date set aside for the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day.
It was born in Sokoto into the family
of the Sokoto Caliphate animal
husbandry and attended the
Sultanate Durbar Racing School
between 2007 and 2008
The army said that before recruiting
Camel Rakumi into the force, it
discovered that the animal had
distinguished itself as a very strong,
energetic and fastest in its class.
The force told Daily Sun that the
Caliphate Chief Rider confirmed this
as it was discovered that the chief
rider introduced the Camel to
Durbar Racing and since then, the
camel had continued to
distinguished itself in most of the
racing contests organized by the
Caliphate.
He won the fastest runner award
during the Durbar hosted by the
Sultan of Sokoto in honour of
President Umar Bashir of Sudan.
He also won award as best behaved
and adored camel during the 2009
Eid el Kabir Durbar in Sokoto.
It was these qualities that
distinguished the camel and enabled
the Nigerian Army to bring him into
their fold and decorate him with the
rank of a corporal.
Regiments of the British Army have
long been prone to adopting
animals as their mascots. Dogs,
goats and ponies are just a few that
have served as mascots in the
British Army, but the earliest
recorded event was that of a goat
belonging to the Royal Welch. It
ended up leading the Welsh
regimental Colour off the battlefield
at the end of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Since then, it was gathered, a goat
has always served with the
Battalion. In 1884, Queen Victoria
presented the regiment, then called
the Royal Welch Fusiliers, with a
Kashmir goat from her royal herd,
and a tradition was started. The
British Monarchy has presented an
unbroken series of Kashmir goats to
the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the
Crown ’s own royal herd.
In Nigeria, the tradition of military
mascot was copied from the British
Army, with a little modification.
The Nigerian Army adopts mascots
based on the battle efficiency of the
troop. For instance, the elite Brigade
of Guards adopted the Scorpion
which it has on its badge to illustrate
its potency, while the 3rd Armoured
Division Jos, Plateau State assumed
the Octopus as its Mascot to give a
fearful posture to the Division.
The 1st Divison Kaduna picked a
white horse as its mascot to
illustrate its strength while the 82
Division in Enugu adopted a flying
dragon to show its prowess.
Every division, brigade or battalion
in the Nigerian Army adopts a
mascot that suits its operation and
indeed defines its potency in the
battlefield.
The 81 Division Lagos did not adopt
any animal as its mascot; rather, it
adopted a palm tree to illustrate its
area of operation, but being and
infantry division, its battalion had
adopted the camel as its mascot.

www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/jan/04/national-04-1-2011-0014.htm

Laughing

A good development.