Cross-dressing, bestiality, lesbianism, homosexuality, and other behaviors thought to be against military standards are now specifically forbidden for Nigerian military personnel.
Both on and off duty, employees are prohibited from body piercings, tattoos, unruly conduct, and intoxication.
Section 26 of the updated Harmonized Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service, which President Bola Tinubu signed on December 16, 2024, contains this command.
“An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, and bestiality,” according to a portion of the paper that our correspondent partially got on Saturday.
“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 (LGBTQIA2S+) 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.”
Officers’ participation in romantic relationships with subordinates or their wives is likewise prohibited by the condition of service.
“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/air women’s spouse,“ it stated.
While military personnel are not allowed to join political parties or secret societies, they are required to fulfill financial obligations, such as insurance and car licenses, on time.
“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.”
Serving personnel are also forbidden from operating a commercial company or abusing government property for private benefit.
“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.
The condition of service further stated that “An officer shall not accept gifts, favours, entertainments, etc, from officers junior to him in rank or from soldiers/ratings/airmen/airwomen.”
However, it was not specified what penalties or disciplinary actions would be taken against any employees who disobey the regulations.