Senate moves to modernize military governance, age requirement as armed forces reform bill scales second reading

— Bill Seeks to Align Military Operations with Constitutional Principles, Bars Enlistment of Persons Below 18 Years

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

A Bill seeking to comprehensively betterment Nigeria’s Armed Forces governance operation successful enactment with law principles, antiauthoritarian accountability, and modern information realities has passed 2nd speechmaking successful the Senate.

The projected legislation, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), aims to repeal the existing Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and re-enact a modern, constitutionally compliant, and operationally responsive ineligible model for the Armed Forces.

The Bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Armed Forces Act and to Re-enact a Modern, Constitutionally Compliant and Operationally Responsive Legal Framework for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 791),” besides seeks to prohibit the enlistment of persons beneath 18 years, successful enactment with the Child Rights Act and planetary humanitarian standards.

Presiding implicit the session, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North), referred the Bill to the Committees connected Army, Air Force, and Navy for further legislative action, directing them to study backmost wrong 4 weeks.

In his pb debate, Senator Yar’Adua emphasized that the existing Armed Forces Act, rooted successful a 1960s subject decree and past consolidated successful 2004, “no longer meets today’s law and operational realities.”

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria stay the cornerstone of our sovereignty and nationalist security,” Yar’Adua stated. “However, our subject instrumentality has not kept gait with evolving antiauthoritarian and planetary defence environments.”

He explained that the Bill seeks to: Reinforce the President’s authorization arsenic Commander-in-Chief portion vesting day-to-day operational bid successful the Chief of Defence Staff.

Embed just proceeding and owed process successful subject justice, eliminating outdated provisions that let administrative reports to service arsenic convictions.

Redefine offences and guarantee proportionate punishment portion protecting courts-martial from undue bid interference.

Enable qualified subject lawyers to correspond the Armed Forces successful civilian courts, supported by a dedicated Litigation Fund.

Replace outdated fines with percentage-based penalties tied to wage levels.

Extend rights and protections to non-commissioned officers to amended morale and fairness.

Yar’Adua further noted that the reforms reflector planetary subject instrumentality updates successful democracies specified arsenic the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

“This Bill is not simply a ineligible update,” helium said. “It is simply a connection of our nationalist committedness to a disciplined, professional, and accountable military. It aligns our Armed Forces with law and planetary standards portion ensuring justness wrong the ranks.”