By Uche Mbah
A combination of pressure from embarrassed Nigerians, and the goodwill that comes with the Christmas season forced the Nigerian Army to release an Army Private who was detained for publicly accepting a marriage proposal by a Youth Corp member at the Orientation camp where she was a member of the drill instruction team.
Private Hannah Sofiat Akinlabi, a female soldier, was detained following video clips of the proposal at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation camp in Yikpata, Kwara State.
According to reliable sources she was released on Christmas day as a mark of goodwill.
The Army had come under heavy criticism by not a few people and groups who described the detention of the female soldier as uncivilised, laughable and embarrassing.
But in its defence, Army Spokesman, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu said the Army Private breached a code of conduct by involving herself in a romantic relationship with somebody whose “‘boss” she was.
However, the soldier’s family, in appealing for her release, said their daughter and the Youth Corper had dated for three years.
Although the Army has not issued a statement on her release, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, confirmed her release on the orders of the Chief of Army Staff. She was released to her family with a warning not to repeat her action
It is not likely she will repeat that, as the possibility of a repeat proposal under the same circumstances is remote.
The female soldier was detained on the orders of Captain MM Abdulahi, Kwara State NYSC Camp Commandant. She was sent to a military detention facility in Ilorin, the state capital.
