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Rights Activist, Sowore, Calls For Release Of Female Soldier Detained By Nigerian Army For Accepting Proposal From Corps Member In Public

December 19, 2021

SaharaReporters had reported that the female soldier was ordered to be detained by Captain MM Abdulahi, Kwara NYSC Camp Commandant, at a military detention facility in Ilorin, the state capital, pending further investigations.

Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate release of Private Hannah Sofiat A, the female soldier detained after video clips of her being proposed to by a male corps member at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Yikpata, Kwara State, went viral on social media.

SaharaReporters had reported that the female soldier was ordered to be detained by Captain MM Abdulahi, Kwara NYSC Camp Commandant, at a military detention facility in Ilorin, the state capital, pending further investigations.

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A military source said she was detained for not being “due for marriage, romancing on uniform publicly, absent on parade, indiscriminate behaviour, doing other things aside from her purpose in NYSC camp, disobedience to standing order of social media rule and disobedience to ethics and tradition of the Nigerian Army.”

In one of the trending video clips, some corps members were seen having a discussion at a venue believed to be the parade ground of the orientation camp.

The discussion was still on when the yet-to-be-identified corps member, who is seen holding a ring, went down on one knee and popped the question to the soldier with the lady accepting the proposal.

The corps member then went on to insert the ring in the finger of the visibly excited Sofiat amid cheers from others at the scene.

She could also be seen relishing the moment as she kissed the ring at intervals with smiles etched on her face. 

The lovebirds later shared a warm embrace.

In another clip, the corps member was seen wearing Sofiat’s military cap as she stood directly behind him.

According to Sowore in a Facebook post on Sunday, there was no law that prevents anyone from accepting a marriage proposal in military uniform.

He said, “#FreeSofiat HQ Nigerian Army is illegally holding Army Private Hannah Sofiat A, her offence was accepting a marriage proposal from her National Youth Corps Service lover at a Mammy Market in Ilorin. There is no law that prevents anyone from accepting a marriage proposal in military uniform but as it is typical of the pre-civilization Nigerian military, she was clamped into detention at Sobi Military Cantonment in Ilorin, Kwara State. 

“The Nigerian military must release Sofiat asap and apologise to her for illegal detention. #RevolutionNow.”