PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has reportedly signed a document banning military personnel from engaging in homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, cross-dressing, and other acts contrary to the ethics of the Armed Forces.
The decision came months after the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer controversy.
The directive is contained in Section 26 of the revised Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service the president signed on December 16, 2024, according to Punch,
A copy of the document reads, “An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, and bestiality.”
According to the document, Tinubu also prohibits military personnel from body piercing, tattooing, disorderly behaviour, and drunkenness on or off duty.
“He/she is not to belong to, or engage in activities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 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,” it stated.
Military officers are also forbidden from indulging in amorous relationships with subordinates or their (subordinates’) spouses.
“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, “ the document states.
LGBTQ+ controversy
In July 2024, a report erroneously alleged that the Federal Government signed the Samoa Agreement, which the report claimed attempted to promote LGBTQ, and transgenders, among others.
The claim elicited reactions from stakeholders, including clerics, civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists who condemned the signing.
The document allegedly contains certain articles, including Articles 2.5 and 29.5, that legalise LGBT, transgenderism, abortion, teen sexual abuse, and perversity in African countries.
However, a thorough filter of the agreement by The ICIR showed that none of the words like ‘LGBTQ’, ‘homosexuals’ and ‘transgender’ were used in the document.
The Samoa Agreement, signed on 15 November 2023, is a pact between 27 countries of the European Union and 79 countries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS).
Other prohibitions signed by Tinubu
Military personnel must pay financial dues, including vehicle licenses and insurance, on time and are prohibited from joining secret societies or political parties.
“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.”
It further barred military officers from having a private business, adding that misuse of government property for personal gain is also prohibited for serving personnel.
“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.
“An officer shall not accept gifts, favours, entertainments, etc, from officers junior to him in rank or from soldiers/ratings/airmen/airwomen,” it stated.
Punishments or disciplinary measures against any personnel who violate the rules were, however, not stated, the report added.