Ban on underage military recruitment underway in Senate

Calls for strengthened civilian oversight

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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

The Senate on Thursday passed for second reading a landmark bill seeking to prohibit underage recruitment into the Armed Forces and strengthen civilian oversight through a clear chain of command.

The bill, titled Armed Forces (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2025 (SB.791), was sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua.

It aims to modernise Nigeria’s military governance framework, align it with constitutional principles, democratic accountability, and international standards.

Leading debate on the bill, Yar’Adua said it “seeks to provide comprehensive reforms to align the Armed Forces’ governance with constitutional principles, democratic accountability, and modern security demands.”

He explained that the current Armed Forces Act, which is rooted in 1960s military decrees and last consolidated in 2004, has not kept pace with evolving defence realities.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain the cornerstone of our sovereignty and national security. Yet our military law has not kept pace with modern defence requirements,” he said.

A key provision of the proposed law prohibits the enlistment of persons below 18 years, ensuring Nigeria’s compliance with the Child Rights Act and international humanitarian standards.

It also introduces clear chains of command that reinforce the President’s constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief while vesting operational command in the Chief of Defence Staff, eliminating ambiguities and strengthening civilian oversight.

The bill further seeks to modernise the military justice system by redefining offences, ensuring proportionate punishments, and criminalising undue command interference in courts-martial to guarantee fairness and independence.

Another major reform is the proposed amendment to section 173 of the current Act to ensure that administrative reports, such as boards of inquiry, no longer serve as convictions without trial. Senate whip, Tahir Monguno, said this reinforces the principle that “no one can be a judge in their own case.”

The bill also allows qualified military lawyers to represent the Armed Forces in civil courts, consistent with practices in advanced democracies like the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

“Many democracies have modernised their military laws to ensure justice, accountability, and professionalism. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind,” Yar’Adua added.

Support for the legislation was unanimous, with Ali Ndume describing it as “essential for aligning the military with Nigeria’s democratic journey,” while Samson Ekong commended it as “a visionary framework for modernising the defence establishment.”

Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin lauded the initiative and referred it to the Senate Committees on Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Force for further legislative input and report within four weeks.