Sofiyat: Nigerian Army explains arrest of female soldier who accepted proposal from corps member

The Nigerian Army has explained why it arrested and detained a female soldier who accepted a proposal from a male corps member at the Yikpata orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kwara State.

The Nation reports the open display of affection happened at the Passing Out Parade of Batch B, Stream 2 of the 2021 Corp Members last week.

In one of the now-viral videos seen by The Nation, the yet-to-be-identified corps member is seen holding a ring.

He knelt to propose amid cheers and applause from other corps members in the background.

The female soldier, accepting the proposal, got the ring fixed on her finger while they both sealed the romantic display with a kiss much to the delight of other corps members recording the incident.

Mixed reactions trailed the soldier’s arrest.

Nigerian Army spokesman Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said the now detained-female officer violated extant military laws by getting involved in a public display of relationship with a paramilitary trainee – a corps member.

He explained that the female officer violated the Nigerian Army’s rules and regulations guiding the codes of conduct of military personnel when deployed for duty.

According to him, the female soldier violated some rules of the Nigerian Army, including indulging in an amorous relationship with a trainee; indulging in romance while in uniform; disobeying the Armed Forces standing guidelines and directives for the use of social media, among others.