Nigeria’s military personnel are now explicitly prohibited from engaging in acts such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, cross-dressing, and other behaviours considered inconsistent with the ethics of the armed forces.
This directive is outlined in Section 26 of the revised Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service, signed by President Bola Tinubu on December 16, 2024.
A copy of the document obtained on Saturday partly states, “An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, and bestiality. He/she is not to belong to, or engage in activities of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Trans, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual or Agender, Two-Spirit group and cross-dressing, amongst others.
“An officer must not engage in body piercing and tattooing of any part of his body. An officer shall not engage in any form of disorderly behaviour, brawl, or any action of public disgrace. An officer must not at any time be drunk whether on or off duty.”
The document also bars military personnel from engaging in amorous relationships with subordinates or their spouses. It states, “An officer shall not engage in any amorous relationship with any soldier/rating/airman/airwoman, fellow officer’s or soldier’s/rating’s/airmen’s/airwomen’s spouse.”
Additionally, personnel are required to fulfil financial obligations such as vehicle licensing and insurance on time. Joining secret societies or political parties is also strictly forbidden.
The document reads, “An officer shall pay all just financial obligations in a proper and timely manner, especially those imposed by law and mutual contract. It is a very serious offence for an officer to be apprehended for failure to license or insure his vehicle and other legal financial obligations.
“In the same vein, the issuance of a dud cheque constitutes an offence. An officer shall not hold membership of any secret society or political party. He shall not participate, in any way, in activities concerned with such societies or parties, even in observatory capacities.
“For the avoidance of doubt, since cultural or purely traditional religious societies are not normally secret by membership or in the conduct of their affairs, they are ipso-facto excluded from belonging to secret societies.”
Military officers are also prohibited from running private businesses or misusing government property for personal gain. The document warns:
“An officer shall not engage in private business. He shall not use or be allowed to use government property, his name, position, and connection in any way with commercial enterprises outside employment or activity with or without compensation, which interfere or has the tendency of interfering with his official duty or which may be reasonably expected to bring discredit to the Service.”
Additionally, receiving gifts, favours, or entertainment from junior officers or subordinates is expressly forbidden. “An officer shall not accept gifts, favours, entertainments, etc., from officers junior to him in rank or from soldiers/ratings/airmen/airwomen,” the document adds.
The revised terms of service, however, did not specify the disciplinary measures or punishments for personnel found guilty of violating these rules.
