Founder and publisher of Saharareporters news online media, Omoyele Sowore has called on the Nigerian Army authority to apologize to the Female Private Soldier, Sofiyat Akinlabi who was arrested and detained for days following her public acceptance of marriage proposal from a member of the National Youth Service Corps in Kwara State.

Omoyele Sowore made the call in a statement yesterday.

OsazuwaAkonedo reports that Nigeria Constitution does not permit the Nigerian Army or any employer of Labour the right to determine for personnel or employees on choice of who, when or how to marry.

The Nigeria Constitution did not limit the power of any citizen in its provisions for freedom of willful association and liberty.

Nigeria Constitution supercedes the provisions, acts, the internal laws or rules of engagement of the Nigerian Army or any organization within the Nigeria territory.

Privileged information indicated that most organizations in Nigeria make policies on marriages so that the top ranking officers can continue to take sex advantage of the new staff most especially the female ones.

Sources from some of the organizations which opinions were sampled; said the reason organizations do give for controlling marriages among staff most especially new staff is immaterial as most staff fornicate among themselves and some of the new staff continued to sleep with their boss even when they have completed the mandatory years and now married.

This act as we gathered is making many marriages to crash in Nigeria.

Sources said early marriage by new staff helps the personnel most especially the female ones to behave more responsibly and be focused; adding, the fear of their husband most especially as member of staff of same organization helps to send fornicating top ranking officers away and give the women a good sense of protection.

Sources said top ranking officers usually take advantage of their privileged position to threaten, intimidate and oppress staff most especially the newly employed personnel to have sex with them and sleep with as many as they wish.

Some of the sources who took time to debate the issue among themselves all agreed that marriage or early marriage by new staff does not affect work but fornication or sleeping around with different senior staff or top ranking officers does result in organizations poor performance.

Omoyele Sowore said following the media reports that the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has ordered the release of the female private soldier, Sofiyat Akinlabi inline with the spirit of Christmas celebration, Nigerian Army should do more by tendering public apology to the detained soldier, adding, her acceptance of marriage proposal from a corps member is legitimate.

Sowore also described her arrest as an unjust incarceration.

“We’ve now received information that the Chief of Army Staff has directed the release of Private Sofiyat Akinlabi from detention over her recent legitimate acceptance of a marriage proposal from a Youth Corps member.

“We urge the Headquarters of the Nigerian Army to apologise publicly to her for the unjust incarceration with immediate effect.

“Thanks to our citizens who stood up firmly to support the struggle to protect Sofiyat’s fundamental rights”, Omoyele Sowore said.

It would be recalled Private Sofiyat Akinlabi who publicly in military uniform accepted a marriage proposal from a National Youth Service Corps member at the National Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Kwara State as shown in a video that went viral.

Nigerian Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said the female soldier will be punished inline the rules of engagement or internal policies of the military.

Some of the rules of engagement the Nigerian Army said Private Sofiyat Akinlabi allegedly violated include: Not due for marriage, Romancing in uniform publicly, Absent from parade, Unprofessional/Indiscipline behaviour, Doing other things outside of her job description at the NYSC Camp, Disobedience to standing order of social media rule and Disregard of Nigerian Army professional ethics.

Osazuwa Akonedo

Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media professional, author, and consultant. His work spans various sectors of communication and literature: Journalism and Media: He is the founder of OsazuwaAkonedo, which focuses on news analysis and commentary. He also provides consultancy services in media and banking. Literature: He is a published playwright and author of Nigerian literature. One of his notable works is the drama titled The End Shall Tell: What Exam Malpractice Can Cause, which addresses educational and social issues in Nigeria. Reporting: He frequently reports on regional news, particularly concerning Edo State and broader Nigerian current affairs. Credit: Google Gemini AI Mode Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media creator, journalist, and entrepreneur who engages audiences via news reporting, social media content, music, and a mobile application. Professional Background and Company Osazuwa Akonedo is associated with OSAZUWAAKONEDO LIMITED, a company registered in Nigeria that operates in media consultancy and news services  The company is headquartered in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and has been active in publishing news in various formats including text, audio, video, and photos  Social Media and Online Platforms Osazuwa Akonedo maintains a strong online presence on several platforms: TikTok: Shares news updates and reports, for example, covering police operations in Nigeria  YouTube: Operates a channel where he uploads videos on current affairs and news content  Twitter/X: Active under the handle @akonedo_osazuwa, posting updates on events and news  Facebook: Profiles listing his connection to news and media activities can be found on Facebook  Mobile App: Offers a dedicated mobile application for news access through Google Play (Osazuwa Akonedo News App) providing text, video, and photo news formats  News Reporting and Content He produces news content covering national and local stories, including criminal activities, government updates, and investigative reports   His reporting spans multiple formats, making it accessible to a wide audience through online platforms, mobile apps, and social media  Other Contributions In addition to journalism, Osazuwa Akonedo has also ventured into audio releases, such as “Former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami Begs Nigerians For Justice” released on January 25, 2026   He also hosts podcasts documenting significant events, e.g, NDLEA arrests related to historical criminal cases  Summary Osazuwa Akonedo is a multifaceted media professional engaged in journalism, social media content creation, music, and technology via his news app. He utilizes platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, and mobile applications to disseminate news and reach audiences both locally and internationally Credit: Azure AI

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