By The Nigerian Army has detained a female soldier who was seen in a viral video accepting the marriage proposal from a corps member.
The said video which surfaced online captured moments from the proposal which occurred at the Yikpata orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kwara State. Expectedly, it generated mixed reactions from social media users.
However, confirming her detention in a statement, spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu said the action followed the violation of several of the military’s rules of engagement by the soldier.
Some of her offences, as listed by Nwachukwu, include fraternisation while on official duty and indulging in romance while in uniform.
He further described the soldier’s conduct as prejudicial to good order and military discipline.
The statement read in part, “The female soldier in question violated the following rules of the NA. 1. Fraternisation while on official duty at the NYSC camp. That is, indulging in amorous relationship with a trainee.
“2. A personnel must have served for 3 years, before he/she can qualify for marriage 3. She disobeyed the Armed Forces of Nigeria standing guidelines and directives for the use of social media.
“4. Indulging in romance while in uniform. 5. Her conduct was prejudicial to good order and military discipline. All the above, if proven are in violation of extant laws with attendant disciplinary and penal implications. As a personnel, her task was to train the Youth Corps members and not to indulge in amorous relationship with any of them.
“These rules were put in place for the purpose of proper administration and discipline in the Army. If I may ask, what if the soldier was a male? How would the public have perceived his action?
“Definitely, it would have been perceived as taking advantage of a female corper, a trainee, put in his care for training. The same applies here. The Nigerian military, like all others, has its disciplinary codes, distinct from that of the general society. Every personnel has voluntarily undertaken to be bound by this code.”
